


Amber Eyes

by Foilfreak



Category: Pyre (Video Game)
Genre: Abandonment, Adoption, And Lots of It, Child Abandonment, Empty Nest Syndrome, Established Relationship, Family Dynamics, Healthy Relationships, Iggy has no idea what the fuck he is doing, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jodi is a good mom, Self-Indulgent, Swearing, but goddamn is he gonna try, enjoy your stay, it always happens at one point or another, parental instincts, probably some ooc somewhere, welcome to hell - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-08 03:48:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12856101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foilfreak/pseuds/Foilfreak
Summary: After the monumental success of the Plan in overthrowing the corrupted Commonwealth and the slow, but universal effort in the establishment and maintenance of the Sariah Union, Jodariel's life was finally granted a form of normalcy that she hadn't seen in years, and frankly never expected to see ever agin.She had a stable and enjoyable job, lived in a modest but comfortable home, kept in touch with both her former fosterlings as well as her fellow ex-nightwings (in one way or another), was in a healthy and happy relationship with a certain red-skinned demon who had refused to leave her alone after they stumbled across one another after the Revolution, and for the first time in a very, very, very long time, was genuinely happy and content with both herself as well as her life.But when an infant is abandoned on their doorstep and must spend 3 moon cycles with them before being taken in and put up for adoption, will Jodariel and Ignarius keep their distance and hand the child over when the time comes, or will they give in to their subconscious desire for a third addition to their little family that they never knew they wanted?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and welcome to my new trainwreck of a story. For those of you who don't know me, I am very well known for writing some of the most self-indulgent fanfiction the internet has ever had the misfortune of reading. Now I know that the Jodi/Iggy pairing isn't very well liked within the Pyre community for its inherent "hetero-endgame" nature, and to be perfectly honest, I didn't like it all that much to begin with either. However, after stumbling across some adorable fanart of the two on tumblr, consisting mostly of things such as braiding each other's hair, bench pressing each other, and Ignarius being a terrible flirt, I eventually fell in love with the two and have decided to add my 2-cents to the topic whether you guys want it or not. Like I said before, this story is COMPLETELY self-indulgent and based off of a lot of the dumb headcanons I have regarding the two characters, both individually as well as within their relationship. Also canon has a tendency to go out the window at certain times (or all the time) so if you're a stickler for canon within fanfic, I recommend you click away. Anyways I'm gonna shut up for right now, and I hope you enjoy your trip into my filthy filthy self-indulgent mind. Not beta read. Be nice.

Many a moon had passed since Jodariel had been freed from her torturous exile in the wastelands of the Downside. In that time, she had taken part in the peaceful overthrowing of the Commonwealth and its corrupt leaders, helped establish the Sariah Union alongside her fellow former-Nightwings, and while she was no longer actively enlisted in the military forces, she had accepted a recruitment trainer position, which allowed her to keep an eye on the state and condition of the people who would one day become part of the Union’s defense force, without having to deal with all the paperwork. As much of a pain in the ass her horns could be at times, there was no denying that they helped a great deal when it came to intimidating a bunch of cocky brats who think they know what it means to join the military.

 

Her home life was much the same as it was before she was exiled. She lived in a modest house in Drakkari, the 8th region of the Sariah Union. It wasn’t anything too big or fancy, but it was big enough to accommodate her, had a small front yard with grass, flowers, and a few steps leading to the door, and a good sized backyard where she had devoted a section to growing a small selection of fruits and vegetables in her spare time. Throughout her life, Jodariel had always been quite busy, with either her duties on the bloodborder, or her duties to the various foster children she took in and cared for, but had never had very much time for herself or the things that she was interested in or wanted to do. 

 

After things settled down from the revolution and the Sariah Union had been established and was actually governing, Jodariel had been left with a great deal of time on her hands, even taking into account her role as recruitment trainer. As strange as it sounds, the fact that she had so much free time and nothing to do with it with gave Jodariel a great deal of anxiety, so much so that she felt the need to confide in someone about her newfound troubles. Ultimately it was Hedwyn and Rhae who came to her rescue and gave her advice about a variety of different activities that she could do to fill up her day, gardening being one of them. The advice was a great help and after a time of trial and error, Jodariel was able to find a few hobbies that she enjoyed and could do in her spare time that relaxed her and helped her unwind after a tiring day.

 

It was around this time that Jodariel ran into someone whom she had never expected to see again. A tall man with broad shoulders, red tinted skin, a perpetual scowl on his face, and two long curling horns, the left one broken off about halfway. Despite it being some time since she had last seen this person, she recognized him immediately, as she had never truly forgotten about him. It was Ignarius.

 

Initially Jodariel had hoped to avoid Ignarius all together and go about her day as though she hadn’t seen him. Unfortunately for Jodariel however, her striking appearance made blending into any sort of crowd very, very, very, very, very difficult. The second Ignarius caught sight of her his face lit up with an almost child-like sort of happiness, and he made a bee-line straight for Jodariel, making a huge spectacle of calling out that ridiculous nickname he had given her, in an attempt to get her attention. She could not escape. 

 

From that point forward, it would seem as though Ignarius wouldn’t leave Jodariel alone. He was always with her, cracking jokes, flirting with her, calling her a variety of different nicknames on top of the one he already gave her, some more flirting, asking her out for drinks, flirting, trying to get her to laugh, have I mentioned flirting, yet? 

 

At first, his presence was nothing more than a nuisance in Jodariel’s eyes and she would have given anything if it meant that Ignarius would just  **go away** . As time passed however, Jodariel became used to Ignarius and his antics, or rather, she came to appreciate his continued efforts at courting her. In the past, she’d been with only a few people; even as a human Jodariel had been a very large woman, who towered over most of the men she knew. Her size coupled with her incredibly intimidating presence often drove away any potential lovers, and the ones that weren’t scared away by her appearance only ever stayed long enough for a quick fuck or two, but never anything serious.

 

As sad a realization as it was to have, Jodariel learned that men were incredibly fickle creatures. They demanded complete and utter loyalty from their partners, yet rarely committed themselves to a monogamous lifestyle, sought relations with others based almost entirely on their appearance rather than their personality or intelligence, and would rarely continue to go after someone for very long if they weren’t getting what they wanted out of it. Jodariel had expected much the same out of Ignarius. All she had to do was ignore him and deny any of his advances, and after a while he would get bored and eventually leave to go bother some other poor unfortunate soul… except that never happened. Time after time, moon cycle after moon cycle, Ignarius would flirt and joke and ask her out on dates and each and every time Jodariel would reject him without the slightest bit of guilt, and yet he just kept coming back.

 

After nearly 5 whole moon cycles of this nonsense, Jodariel finally snapped and called Pamitha over the telephone so she could complain about her pest problem. For once it was Jodariel who did most of the talking, as it took her nearly 45 minutes to angrily retell the details of what she had been dealing with to her friend regarding Ignarius and his strange obsession with her. What Pamitha said in response to her rant threw Jodariel for a loop.

 

“You know, love and obsession are two sides of the same coin. While that Ignarius may not seem like the kind of guy who’d want to settle down with just one person, he does seem like the kind of guy who’d only work so hard to get your attention if his feelings for you were genuine”

 

Jodariel remained silent for a long time after that. Once she finally came back to herself Jodariel thanked Pamitha for listening to her and promised that she would call more often, before finally hanging up. The following days were… interesting, to say the least. Pamitha’s words rang loudly in the back of Jodariel’s mind whenever she saw Ignarius abandon whoever it was he had been talking to in favor of sidling up to her and breaking out on of his “infamous” pickup lines. It was absolutely terrible and Jodariel can’t help but wonder if those pickup lines have ever actually worked or if he just uses them for the sake of humor, either way doesn’t really matter, but this time around Jodariel finds the pickup line less annoying and more… amusing, not that she’d ever let Ignarius know that.

 

A similar pattern kept occurring every time she saw Ignarius from that point forward. Slowly but surely his flirtatious advances became less aggravating and more flattering, his jokes actually started to make her smile and laugh, and even his attempts at physical touch, such as slinging an arm over her shoulder, were becoming more welcomed than they were before, though she always made sure to reward him with a sharp and painful jab to the ribs if his hands ever started wandering toward forbidden territory.

 

As much as she hated to admit it, and oh did Jodariel loath the corrupting thoughts that plagued her mind regarding her “love affair”, as Pamitha had begun referring to him as, but Ignarius was a very charming and handsome man, in his own way. He never treated her like she was some fragile doll that had to be waited on hand and foot just because she was a woman, but he did treat her like a lady, one that deserved to be respected, and had the door held open for her, and got treated to drinks, and a whole manner of other things that Jodariel had initially thought he was using to try and make fun of her.

 

Perhaps this, along with the advice she received from Pamitha, is the reason why, when Ignarius showed up at her doorstep one night, dressed in a crisp, white button down shirt and black slacks, his hair slicked back neatly behind his head instead of in his signature pompadour, a bouquet of chrysanthemums, which just so happened to be Jodariel’s favorite flower, in his hands, and nervously asked if she would go out to dinner with him, Jodariel couldn’t find it within herself to say no.

 

In the moon cycles following that night, Jodariel and Ignarius grew to be very close and comfortable around one another. While the terms “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” were ones that Jodariel had extreme difficulty using to refer to her relationship with Ignarius, they weren’t teenagers after all, it was very clear to both sides that they each wanted something more than just simple friendship. Ultimately, “partners” seemed to be the best fit for describing the two; it was simple, but it got the point across just fine.

 

At one point, a few moon cycles into their relationship, while they were relaxing on Jodariel’s couch watching television, Ignarius asked if she would help him look for a new apartment, as the one he was currently living in was going to be remodeled soon, and he would rather just move out than try to find a temporary place to stay while the building was being worked on. Jodariel saw no issue with the request, and agreed to help him search for a new place to live, although she offhandedly commented that he could also just move in with her, seeing as how they were dating and all. Ignarius hums in consideration and says he will think about it, before turning his attention back to the show they were watching.

 

13 days later, Jodariel watches from the comfort of the couch as Ignarius drops the last box of his possessions into her living room. There weren’t very many to bring over, as Ignarius didn’t have too many possessions to speak of; mostly the essentials like clothes, toiletries, kitchenware for when he actually decided to cook, a few pieces of salvaged furniture that he would probably end up selling, and an old dirty mattress that Jodariel demanded he get rid of, not that he was planning on keeping it anyways.

 

Jodariel watches as Ignarius heaves a tired sigh, dusts his hands on his pants, and kicks the front door shut, before walking over and collapsing over the arm of the couch, his head landing in her lap. He smiles up at her before closing his eyes and getting comfortable, Jodariel can’t help but smile in return. 

 

They exchange no words. They don’t have to. They simply sit together and enjoy each other’s company in the tranquil peace of the early evening, as they prepare for the next stage of their relationship, and the next stage of their lives that they never thought they’d be blessed enough to see.


	2. Basket Delivery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the trainwreck adds a second cart

It was a calm and peaceful morning in Talati, the 2nd region of the Sariah Union. The sun had yet to rise over the horizon, the streets were bare and empty, shopkeepers had yet to begin preparing to open shop for the day, and a cool chill had set in the early twilight of leventhmoon.

 

One home in particular was especially quiet on this fine morning, and that was the house where the two demons Jodariel and Ignarius had recently taken residence. 

 

After nearly 3 years of serving as a drill sergeant, training new recruits for the 8th region’s police force, Jodariel had received a promotion offer from the higher ups of the Sariah Union military. Due to the extremely high quality of officers that were being produced under her training and tutelage, the higher ups wanted her to start focusing her wisdom and expertise on building a special-ops team that would focus on behind-the-scenes operations that dealt with and investigated larger issues involving terrorists, organized crime bosses, and fundamentalists who sought a revival of the Commonwealth days. Between no longer having to deal with newbies who had no idea what they were doing, the reasonable expected work time per week, and the  **massive** increase in pay she would receive upon taking the job, the offer was very difficult to refuse. Unfortunately, the major pitfall of the offer was that she would have to pack up everything and move to Talati, the 2nd region of the Sariah Union, which meant that Ignarius would have to pack up and leave everything behind as well.

 

After mulling over the offer for a while, she finally brought it up to Ignarius, expressing both her desire to take the job, and her reservations about forcing him to leave behind both his friend group as well as his very lucrative career as manager of The Starry Eight. To her surprise however, Ignarius was more than ecstatic about the news of her promotion, and encouraged her to accept the position, reassuring her that finding a management job when you’re as good at flirting and math as he is, wasn’t very difficult. While she still held some worries about leaving behind the city and the home that she had become so accustomed to, and dragging Ignarius by the horns along with her, she decided to take her partner’s advice for once, and accepted the position.

 

The next few moon cycles consisted of packing boxes, signing paperwork, travelling back and forth between between Drakkari and Talati, signing more paperwork, looking at potential houses, even more paperwork, selling their current house, more paperwork, briefings on the expectations of her and Ignarius’ new jobs, and even more goddamn paperwork on top of that.

 

“Jojo, I swear to the scribes, if I gotta sign one more piece of  **fucking** paper, I’m gonna have an aneurysm” Ignarius had stated angrily as he went through and signed the contract on their new home, and while Jodariel prided herself on being the calmer and more racional of the two, for once, she couldn’t help but agree with her partner’s annoyed comment.

 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of never ending moving and paperwork signing, Jodariel and Ignarius were given the keys to their new home and were left to begin their new lives in Talati.

 

Back to the present time, the two were currently laying comfortably in their bed, burrowed under the warmth of the covers, fast asleep. Jodariel had somehow manage to wrap herself around Ignarius sometime during the night, likely in an attempt to steal as much of his body heat as possible. The cold air that filled their bedroom was hardly a bother to Jodariel, considering that her partner radiated heat like a bonfire. Jodariel had spent no small amount of time wondering how Ignarius wasn’t easily susceptible to heat stroke when his average body temperature seemed to be at least 10 degrees higher than the average person.

 

Despite usually committing herself to an early waking time so she could go about her morning routine without rushing, it was still a bit too early for Jodariel to even consider getting up, after all, she wasn’t expected to start her new job for another week or so, so she may as well take advantage of the extra available sleeping time while she still had it.

 

***BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP***

 

Or maybe not.

 

The screeching sound of the alarm clock yanked Jodariel from the depths of her peaceful slumber. She opened her bleary eyes and scanned the room for a quick moment, before detaching herself from Ignarius and rolling over.

 

A choked yelp escaped the man’s mouth once Jodariel’s elbow made direct, and forceful, contact with his ribcage. Ignarius groaned and reached over to turn the squawking alarm clock off, before sitting up and glaring menacingly at Jodariel, who had rolled back over to her side of the bed and gone back to sleep.

 

“OW” Jodariel yelled angrily when a pillow was unexpectedly smacked against her face. Pushing the pillow off she opened her eyes and was met with the smug face of Ignarius, clearly pleased with the results of his revenge for his rude awakening. Jodariel chucked the pillow at him as hard as she could, but unfortunately Ignarius must have been expecting such an act from her. 

 

“Haha, you missed” he taunted, as he expertly dodged the incoming artillery and skidded into the bathroom to get ready for work, before he ended up under heavy fire. Jodariel merely rolled her eyes at his childishness, before sinking back down into the inviting embrace of their bed, and falling back to sleep.

 

The next time she woke was when Jodariel felt a slow and careful dip in the bed, followed by a pair of lips that placed themselves gently against her temple. Although she remained still, pretending to still be asleep, Jodariel couldn’t help but smile inwardly at the soft and loving gesture from Ignarius. Throughout the course of their relationship, Jodariel had learned that, despite his gruff appearance and his generally careless and angry behavior, Ignarius was actually pretty sappy when it came to romance and showing his affections for her. The various things he did to show he cared were corny and made Jodariel roll her eyes more often than not, but they were also genuinely heartfelt, and had the uncanny ability to make Jodariel feel undeniably special. 

 

As Ignarius leaves the room Jodariel smiles and sends a silent thanks to the scribes for, after years of seemingly neverending trials, hardships, and tears, gifting her with not only her freedom and life back, but also gifting her someone with whom she can love and be loved by, and spend the rest of her days with in comfort and happiness. Jodariel is truly blessed.

 

“JOOOOOOODIIIIIIIIIIIIII” Jodariel groans at the loud screech of her name from across the house by none other than Ignarius.

 

“WHAAAAAAT?” she yells back, hoping to avoid having to get up.

 

“I THINK YOU NEED TO COME SEE THIS” Ignarius’ voice is loud, and carries a hint of panic in it.

 

‘Well, it was nice while it lasted’ Jodariel thinks to herself as she sighs and sits up.

 

“IGNARIUS I SWEAR BY THE EIGHT SCRIBES THAT IF YOU DRAGGED ME OUT OF BED AT THE ASS-CRACK OF DAWN JUST TO KILL ANOTHER GODDAMN SPIDER FOR YOU, I’M GOING TO TEAR YOUR HORNS OFF” she yells angrily as she drags herself from their bed and slowly makes her way toward the kitchen.

 

When she rounds the corner and enters the dining room, she is met with the sight of Ignarius, standing anxiously in the opening to the kitchen, with small wicker basket cradled in his arms. Jodariel stared in disbelief at her partner and wondered what in the world could have been so important about a basket that he had to wake her up and force her out of bed before the sun had even risen.

 

Just as Jodariel was about to turn around and head back to bed for a few more hours, she heard the basket cough. Jodariel froze where she stood and turned back to get another look at the basket. Another cough, followed by what sounded like the choked beginnings of an infant’s cry.

 

Oh.

 

Jodariel sped across the dining room toward Ignarius, and upon finally looking at the contents of the wicker container, Jodariel paled. Inside the basket, sat a tiny squirming baby, with short little black whisps of hair on the top of its head, wrapped in a very thin blue blanket, with the biggest pair of amber eyes that Jodariel had ever seen in her entire life.

 

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know where I am going with this fic, but boy am I having fun with it. I hope you are all enjoying my massive trip down self-indulgence lane, and I hope to see you all soon for chapter 2


	3. Abandoned

Jodariel scooped the now sobbing infant into her arms and began rocking it in an attempt to calm its distressed cries.

 

“Where did you find this?” she asks Ignarius, who looks at her with a mixture of confusion and worry.

 

“I was standing in the kitchen grabbin’ a bit to eat before I left when I heard some weird noises coming from the backyard. When I opened the back door to go out and look around I nearly tripped over somthin’, and when I looked down there was a baby in a fucking basket sittin’ on our back porch” Ignarius explained, his eyes shifting nervously between his partner and the sobbing infant in her arms. 

 

Jodariel sighs in slight frustration, although she supposes that opening your door to find an abandoned child wouldn’t be something someone like Ignarius was used to. Despite having matured and mellowed out considerably since they first met back in the downside, it didn’t take a genius to understand that a mid-to-late 20s Ignarius was not the kind of person that even the most careless mother would leave her newborn child in the care of.

 

“So what do we do?” Ignarius asks, pulling Jodariel from her thoughts.

 

“Well, for the time being I’m going to perform an unofficial check up, make sure there aren’t any immediate issues that have to be taken care of and you…” she turns to Ignarius, “are going to work”

 

“WHAT?”

 

“Don’t yell” Jodariel scolds as the infant's cries increase in volume.

 

“What the hell do you mean ‘go to work’? I’m not leaving you here with a baby that I just found on our goddamn back porch” Ignarius argues, lowering his voice slightly as to not agitate the child further. Jodariel heaves another sigh.

 

“Well then since you’re such an expert on child care all of a sudden what do you have to offer that would help in this situation, other than hovering nervously over my shoulder and getting in my way every time I move to get something?” Jodariel asks, although the question is clearly rhetorical in nature. 

 

“Well, I’m just trying to help” he counters indignantly.

 

“Yes, I know, and your efforts have been noted and are appreciated, but you know as well as I do that when you get nervous, you have a very bad habit of hovering, and when you hover you get in my way, and when you get in my way you hinder my work, and when you hinder my work I get mad at you and I really don’t feel like getting mad at you right now so why don’t you just avoid all the drama and go to work” Jodariel finishes pointedly, before turning and making her way toward the bathroom. Ignarius groans in frustration but makes no attempts to argue furger.

 

“Do I at least get a hug?” Ignarius asks, still rooted in his original spot in the kitchen doorway. Jodariel rolls her eyes and sighs, but turns around and walks back over to Ignarius anyways, allowing her partner to wrap his arms around her and place a gentle kiss to her forehead. Surprisingly enough, the sobs that had been resonating from the tiny infant since its discovery, were alleviated significantly in the brief moment it spent squished in the center of the hug, though a few choked hiccups still escaped.

 

“Call me if you need anything, ok?” Ignarius asked while grabbing his things.

 

“Don’t worry, you’ll be the first person I call if the end of the world as we know it breaks out within the 8 hours that you’re gone” Jodariel responds teasingly. Ignarius does not look impressed.

 

“Ha ha, very funny. Well aren’t you just the funniest little comedian” Ignarius replies condescendingly. Jodariel shrugs her shoulders.

 

“What can I say, I learned from the best”

 

“Ya ya. Alright I’ll see you later”

 

“Drive safe. NO SPEEDING”

 

“I promise you nothing.” And with that Ignarius closes the door behind him, gets into their automated wagon, and drives off to work, leaving Jodariel alone with their unexpected guest.

 

“Well, now that he’s gone, let’s get you cleaned up shall we?” the infant just stares at her with wide and fearful eyes, causing Jodariel’s stomach to twist uncomfortably, but she ignores the feeling in favor of making her way back toward the hallway, so she can begin giving the newborn the care it so clearly needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome back. This chapter was kinda short, but it had some good interactions between Iggy and Jodi, in my opinion, which was fun. Hope you guys are enjoying my story, and I will see you all soon for chapter 3!


	4. Clean Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought you were rid of me? GUESS AGAIN!

Jodariel enters the spare bedroom they have set up, just incase one of her fosterlings comes to visit and spends the night. As a result of some of them having children, Jodariel had a small stock of baby and toddler supplies tucked away in the closet of that spare bedroom; diapers, bottles, formula, toys, clean clothes, and other essentials like that. She grabs what she needs, then exits the room and walks toward the kitchen.

 

Jodariel gently lays the infant on the kitchen counter next to the sink. Keeping one hand on the infant to stabilize it, and keep it from accidentally rolling off the counter, she plugs the sink and turns on the faucet, turning the nozzle until a stream of slightly warm water begins to flow into the faucet. She fills it only a quarter of the way and turns off the faucet before turning her attention back to the infant. Jodariel carefully unwraps the thin, blue blanket that the child had been placed in, and is not happy with what she sees.

 

The child’s diaper was clearly soiled and likely hadn’t been changed in quite a while. The material was soaking wet, a large amount of feces had spilled out, coating the child’s back and legs in it, and an unhealthy layer of dirt and grime clung to the child’s skin. Jodariel could already see some irritated areas where the feces and dirt must have been rubbing against the child’s delicate skin. The thin material of the blue blanket obviously hadn’t done much by way of keeping the infant warm, if it’s prevalent shivers were any indication. On top of all that, the child was clearly underfed, the first thing it did upon being freed from the blanket was shove it’s entire fist into it’s mouth. Wherever it was this child came from, it was very clear that it had not been receiving the proper care and attention that it needed. Jodariel couldn’t help the pang of sadness that spread throughout her chest.

 

“Don’t worry, little one, I’m going to get you all fixed up” Jodariel says soothingly, as she gently strokes a finger along the child’s forehead. The amber eyes flicker up at Jodariel for a moment, but other than that, the child shows no other signs of understanding what was said. And with that, Jodariel gets to work.

 

First, she removes the soiled diaper and disposes of it into the trashcan. This reveals that the infant is, in fact, a little girl. Next, Jodariel takes the useless blanket, and wipes as much of the dirt and feces off of the child as she can, before tossing that into the trashcan, as well. Checking the temperature of the water to make sure it isn’t too hot, Jodariel lifts the infant and then gently places her into the makeshift bath. 

 

This turns out to be a bad idea as, upon making contact with the water, the infant instantly recoils as though she had been burned, and begins sobbing and squirming in Jodariel’s grasp. She remains firm however, and gently continues to lower the girl into the water until everything but her head is submerged. She doesn’t like it, that much is clear, but as time passes and the infant adjusts to the temperature and feeling of the water, her sobs cease and she returns to a calmer, more relaxed state.

 

With that, Jodariel picks up the bottle of soap she grabbed from the spare room, pours some into her hand, and begins to lather it all over the child. She does this two more times, just to make sure every germ and spec of dirt was cleaned from the girl’s body. When she is done, Jodariel lifts the child from the sink and places her on a clean towel, drying her off before dressing her in a clean diaper, a onesie that was a few sizes too big for her, and a blanket that would do a much better job of keeping the tiny baby warm than the one she had before.

 

“There, that’s much better, now how about we get you some food, hm?” Jodariel coos gently to the swaddled infant, who gurgles in agreement. 

 

Walking back into the spare bedroom Jodariel grabs a bottle and a container of powdered formula before returning to the kitchen and preparing the bottle according to the directions on the container. After settling down on the couch and throwing on the tv for some background noise, Jodariel finally turns her attention back to the little girl, who had begun mouthing on the edge of the blanket, though she abandons the fleece material quickly in favor of latching hungrily onto the nib of the bottle that Jodariel presents to her.  

 

Despite her small size, the infant girl has no trouble downing the entire bottle of formula, and once she’s finished with her meal Jodariel sets the empty bottle down on the coffee table and begins rubbing gentle rhythmic circles on the girl’s back. This seems to have no effect on the little girl however, as instead of being lulled into a deep and peaceful slumber, her attention seems to be focused on whatever object in the room that catches her eye.

 

Jodariel watches with an amused expression as the child attempts to turn her head with what little neck strength she can muster to look at her surroundings. Although Jodariel had hoped the girl would go to sleep after her feeding, she can’t help but be at least a little happy that the child’s personality has changed so much in such a short amount of time, and that she seems so much happier and content.

 

Seemingly out of nowhere, the child turns to Jodariel and stares at her. Jodariel’s smile fades as she notices the pair of amber orbs skimming across various parts of her face: her eyes, her lips, her ears, her nose, until finally, with nowhere else to look, the little girl’s gaze settles on her horns. They’d shrunk considerably since her return from the downside, and they were no longer the massive, curling appendages that had once been attached to either side of her head. Unfortunately, not enough time had passed to completely hide her history of exile, as they still stuck out a solid 8 or 9 inches, and the regression process was slow, at best.

 

While it was often frowned upon for one to ogle at another because of their differing appearance, Jodariel was not put off by it, nor did she blame the little girl for staring, after all she did not know the social implications of what it meant to have horns such as Jodariel’s, so for now she simply remains still as the young girl stares unblinkingly at her.

 

Several moments of silence pass as the little girl takes in the rough and intimidating features of her caretaker. At one point the girl’s eyes seem to catch the light in a way that make Jodariel wonder if she’s going to start crying, but instead of tears, a small smile makes its way onto her tiny lips. Jodariel blinks, slightly taken aback to the uncharacteristic action, but it doesn’t stop there. Slowly but surely the smile spreads across the little girl’s face, her legs start kicking excitedly, and strangest of all, she starts laughing. 

 

Jodariel stares at the laughing infant in confusion for a moment, but it isn’t long before the child’s laughter becomes contagious, and Jodariel finds a smile working its way onto her lips as well. She chuckles and looks down at the little girl fondly.

 

“Well aren’t you a strange one. Do you like my horns?” she coos gently, the infant continues to giggle and squirm happily in her arms. It takes a while, but soon enough, the little girl is sound asleep, tucked snuggly into the crook of Jodariel’s arm as she leaves the house and begins the walk toward the city center, where the only legally sanctioned group home in all of Talati is located.

 

Back in the days of the Commonwealth, there were a multitude of orphanages that took in and looked after orphaned children that had nowhere to go. Unfortunately these places were often in very poor condition, looked after far too many children for the amount of space and staff the buildings offered, and were provided with the bare minimum of funding to help pay for necessities such as food, repairs, and medical equipment. Seeing the conditions that those children were forced to live in was one of the reasons why Jodariel began taking in and caring for children out of her own home, so that they wouldn’t have to suffer simply because they didn’t have any parents of their own.

 

While there was no denying that caring for orphaned children while also maintaining the role of Captain along the Bloodborder was a very difficult task, one that involved a lot of running, yelling, and micromanaging, she never once regretted her decision, in fact she takes a great deal of pride in knowing that she was able to provide children who had absolutely nothing with a place to call home, even if it was only for a little while.

 

Jodariel pauses for a moment as she stands outside the plain looking building with a sign that read “Madam Meadow’s Group Home Sanctuary”. From her spot outside, Jodariel could make out the faint sound of children playing and adults conversing. She looks down at the sleeping infant in her arms, and for a moment, contemplates not going in, and simply taking the girl home and caring for her herself. Jodariel quickly rides her mind of this thought however, since even though she had no doubt that she could easily care for the small girl, she decided that it would ultimately be best for her to be placed in the care of professionals, who would be able to find her a new home and a loving family much quicker and more efficiently than she could.

 

And so, with her mind made up and her grip on the sleeping bundle in her arms firm, Jodariel opens the door to the group home, and enters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello I'm back with another installment in the most self-indulgent fanfic to ever grace your screen. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter since it took me fucking ages to write because I don't know how to manage my time efficiently. Comment down below and let me know what you think of this story, I have a lot of ideas for it and a pretty good idea of where I want it to go, but for now I am at the mercy of second semester of college so don't be too surprised if I drop off the face of the planet for a while, but don't worry, I'm not going to abandon this at any point. I will finish this story even if it fucking kills me. See you all soon!


	5. Full House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the shitshow! You know the drill.

Unlike the plain and boring exterior, the inside front room of “Madam Meadow’s Group Home Sanctuary” was extraordinarily bright and colorful. The rooms was painted a sunflower yellow, the walls were covered in various drawings and collages, courtesy of the children who lived, and there were a multitude of toys sprinkled around the room, though not in places that could get in the way. Despite the sound of children laughing and adults talking, there was no one seated behind the reception counter, and no one anywhere in sight for that matter. 

 

After several moments of waiting, Jodariel wonders if she should perhaps go look for someone, or else she might end up standing here all day.

 

“Hello” a little voice greets somewhere to Jodariel’s left, catching her off guard. There standing next to her, and barely reaching her hip, was a small harp girl, with dark green hair and purple feathers. Jodariel blinked in confusion for a moment, completely shocked by how the girl was able to sneak up on her like that.

 

“Hello to you as well” Jodariel greets back once she snapped out of her confused daze.

 

“Can I see your baby, please?” the little harp asks, her eyes shining with curiosity.

 

“Oh, she’s not mine, child. But you can still look at her if you’d like” Jodariel explains. The little girl nods her head and bounces excitedly from foot to foot as Jodariel bends down to allow the young harp girl to see the small infant nestled in her arms.

 

“She looks so peaceful” the little girl whispers in awe. Jodariel chuckles lightly.

 

“Anara” a voice from the doorway behind the counter calls. Jodariel stands up and is met with the sight of a middle aged woman with brown, but graying, hair tied into a loose ponytail. The woman speeds toward the young harp girl, gently takes her by her taloned hands, and begins to lead her back toward the door.

 

“I thought I told you to stay in the playroom with all the other children” the woman scolds at the child.

 

“But Mita, I wanted to see the baby” the young harp, Anara, defends, attempting to wriggle her way out of Mita’s arms and return to cooing at the small infant in Jodariel’s arms.

 

“Baby? What baby?” Mita asks but then stops, finally noticing Jodariel standing behind the counter, she pales slightly.

 

“Oh goodness me, I am terribly sorry for keeping you waiting Ma’am, and please do forgive young Anara for troubling you, she absolutely adores babies and is always asking random strangers if she can see theirs, but she doesn’t mean any harm. I’ll be with you in just a moment”

 

“She was no trouble to me, and take your time I’m not in any rush” Jodariel says, winking at Anara, who smiles happily at her.

 

“Bye baby, bye pretty lady” the little harp says with a wave, before allowing her caretaker to lead her back into the hallway.

 

A few moments later, Mita returns and closes the door to the hallway behind her before turning to Jodariel.

 

“Again I apologize for the wait Ma’am. My name is Mitalu, although everyone simply calls me Mita. How can I help you today?” she asks, taking a seat behind the counter and pulling out a pen and a notepad.

 

“I’m here today because earlier this morning, my partner found this infant girl abandoned in a wicker basket on our back doorstep, wearing nothing but an extremely soiled diaper and a thin blue blanket” Jodariel explains, pausing a moment to allow Mita to write everything down.

 

“I see. How sad. Well you’ve definitely come to the right place. I’m just going to have to ask you a few questions regarding yourself, your partner, and a few more details regarding the situation and the condition surrounding the child’s discovery, but other than that we will be able to take it from here” Mita says cheerfully.

 

“Anything that helps speed the process” Jodariel says.

 

The interrogation lasts for several minutes and the questions range from asking about various fact about herself and Ignarius, to describing how they came to possess the small infant girl. Once Mita is satisfied with the information she has collected, she caps her pen and stands up from her seat.

 

“Alright, that’s everything, just give me a moment to go and inform Madam Meadow and I shall return shortly to retrieve the child”

 

“Very well” Jodariel responds, and with that Mita exits through the door into the hallway once again, leaving Jodariel alone in the front office.

 

About 10 minutes later, Mita returns, but something seems off about her, her cheerful attitude has been replaced with an uneasy and nervous expression, and she keeps glancing nervously behind her. It is then that Jodariel notices that she is accompanied by a tall elderly Crone with kind eyes, light green skin, and short white hair with silver snakes on her head. The Crone smiles as she approaches Jodariel.

 

“Good morning, my name is Madam Meadow, and you are Jodariel correct?” the old Crone asks politely and kindly.

 

“Yes, I am” Jodariel answers, her gaze shifting between the nervous Mita and the unreadable Madam Meadow. Something was definitely wrong here.

 

“Jodariel there is something I’d wish to discuss with you in private, would you please follow me to my office?” Madam Meadow asks gesturing toward the door leading to the rest of the building. Jodariel follows the Crone without another word and is lead down a very long hallway, passing by several rooms before finally reaching the door to Madam Meadow’s office. The Crone turns to Mita and whispers something to her before closing the door.

 

“Please, have a seat” the Crone says, taking a seat behind a large wooden desk. Jodariel does as she is told and sits in the chair, turning her gaze toward Madam Meadow, whose expression is much sharper and more serious than before.

 

“Jodariel, would you consider yourself the kind of woman who likes to hear things bluntly and upfront?” Jodariel is surprised by the strange question.

 

“Well of course. In my line of work there isn’t any time for beating around the bush. If there’s something going on I’d like to be told upfront and immediately”

 

“Hmm, I thought so. Well in that case I will get straight to the point. As of this moment in time, we do not have the space nor the resources to take in the child you have brought us today” the Crone admits seriously. Jodariel’s eyes widen in shock.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You see, despite Talati being known as the source of the Sariah Union’s military might, it is also currently home to the largest child care providing establishment in all of the Union, this building right here.” Madam Meadow pauses for a moment before continuing.

 

“As a result of my establishment having the best and most efficient child care and adoption system in the Union, children from other regions are often brought here in order to be given the care they need and hopefully, be given new families to love and care for them. We recently received a batch of young ones from Zezra, the fifth region, but for some reason, one that is still being investigated now, the number of children we received was far more than the number we were supposed to take in, and as of right now we are well above our legal max capacity” the elderly woman finishes.

 

“So what now? You’re just going to turn away an infant girl because some idiot doesn’t know how to do his damn job?” Jodariel snaps angrily. 

 

“Now, now, please there’s no need to shout. I understand your concern and while it is true that we ourselves are incapable of taking her in due to legal and resource restrictions, I have for you, a proposition” Jodariel narrows her eyes at the old woman.

 

“What kind of proposition?” she invites.

 

“It has been brought to my knowledge by one of my employees that during the days of the Commonwealth and before your exile, you ran a small foster center out of your home, is that true?”

 

“It is”

 

“Well then my proposition to you is that, should you agree, I would like to make you a official member of “Madam Meadow’s Group Home Sanctuary”, a position which would allow you to legally look after the child until there is room for her here” the old crone explains.

 

“So you want me to look after her until you’re ready to take her in?” Jodariel questions.

 

“Long story short, yes, you would be providing this child with the care she needs until we have the space and resources to care for her here. Although as an “employee” working under me, you will receive a salary that should cover any expenses you make for the child” Madam Meadow finally finishes, resting her head against her hands.

 

“So what do you think? Do we have a deal?” Jodariel remains silent for a moment, unsure of how to answer. On the one hand Jodariel knows that she can’t devote the time it takes to care for an infant with her new job only a week away from starting, but on the other hand, there’s no way she’s handing the little girl over to a random stranger to look after her. She sighs.

 

“How long until there’s enough space here to take her in?” she asks Madam Meadow.

 

“Three moon cycles. At best” Madam Meadow responds.

 

Jodariel casts a glance down at the small infant, still fast asleep in her arms. As much as dislikes the current situation, Jodariel knows that there’s nothing else that can be done. If she wants to make sure that this child receives the care that she so rightfully deserves, then it looks likes she’s just going to have to look after the girl herself.

 

“Alright, you have a deal. What do I need to sign to make sure I’m not arrested for possession of a child I shouldn’t legally have?” Jodariel heaves, tiredly. Madam Meadow nods and pulls out a stack of papers and places them in front of Jodariel, who can already tell that this is going to be a very long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now before you say anything, I'd like to preface that a) I am not an expert on childcare and so I don't know everything that you should do on taking care of a baby (but I am doing as much research as I can to make sure things stay within the realm of realistic) and b) I am definitely not an expert on adoption centers or group homes or anything of that nature so if I did or said something wrong, comment down below, I'd love to learn more about this kind of thing but also remember that this is something that I write for fun in my spare time, so its not going to be 100% accurate. Thanks so much for reading and all of the wonderful comments and feedback. I don't know if I've said this before but because the Jodi/Iggy pairing isn't that popular in the Pyre fandom, I was, and still am, kind of afraid to write this story, but so far there have been at least a few people who seem to like it so that's all the incentive I need to keep writing. If this kind of story or pairing isn't really your cup of tea, that's fine and totally understandable (not everybody likes the same things), but I do ask that we continue to be kind and respectful of everyone's likes and dislikes, and if you have anything mean or negative to say, then just keep it to yourself (unless you want to be dragged through the mud and make a complete asshole out of yourself, I don't mind being petty). Anyways thanks so much for all the support and I will see you all soon!


	6. Plan of Action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT I'm back from the fucking dead with a new update. Hope you all enjoy the quality jodiggy I have cooked up for this chapter.

Jodariel returns home many hours later. By the time she unlocked the door to her home, the sun had already gone down, and the streets were empty, as the children who live in the neighborhood had already been called in by their parents. Most of her time at “Madam Meadow’s Group Home Sanctuary” was spent signing paperwork that gave Jodariel legal jurisdiction to care for the still unnamed child that had been abandoned at her door. Said child remained quiet for the most part, only making a fuss when she was hungry or needed a new diaper, but other than that, hardly a peep was heard from her.

 

Jodariel kicks the door closed and turns the light on before walking into the spare bedroom and gently placing the sleeping infant in the middle of the large bed. It was still early, so she would probably wake up one or two more times to feed or have her diaper changed, but Jodariel would deal with that once the issue actually arose.

 

Walking out to the kitchen, Jodariel opened the fridge and surveyed the interior, looking for something to eat. Much to her displeasure, the only items in there were condiments, some juice, half a loaf of bread, and two eggs, but nothing that would constitute an entire meal. She considered trying to cook something, but quickly thought against it, not wanting a repeat of the last time she tried to improvise while cooking using these convoluted electric stove tops that were now commonplace in every household. The actual cooking part Jodiariel had down no problem, but the controls that operated the stove confused her to no end and, long story short, she ended up setting an omelet, as well as part of the kitchen in their old house, on fire. It’s been nearly two years since that disaster happened, and yet Ignarius hasn’t let her near the stove since.

 

Jodariel groans, resigning herself to wait until Ignarius came home and made something. For a moment she contemplates calling and asking him to pick something up on his way home, but her train of thought is interrupted when she notices that the lights in the backyard were on, despite checking before she left to make sure they were off.

 

Grabbing her coat and her shoes, Jodariel opens the back door and steps out onto the patio and surveys the area before she sees a pair of legs dangling off of the swinging chair hanging from the large tree in the corner of the yard, and hears the steady and familiar sound of a steel string guitar. Jodariel steps off the patio and makes her way toward Ignarius, who seems completely content and focused on playing the guitar situated on his lap, so much so that he shows no sign of noticing Jodariel when she walks up behind him and leans her arms over the back of the chair.

 

For a while, Jodariel simply watches and listens as Ignarius’ left hand glides across the neck of the guitar seamlessly and his right hand plucks at the worn metal strings, allowing each note he plays to vibrate outward from the hollow interior of the guitar’s wooden frame. 

 

The guitar had been a gift that Jodariel purchased for Ignarius’ birthday two years previous. After hearing a few stories of how Ignarius’ father taught him to play when he was just a boy, Jodariel went out and bought a simple, but very nice looking dark-wood steel string guitar. The explanation the sales clerk gave her on how the type of wood and stiffness of the strings affected sound quality flew right over Jodariel’s head, and while she gripped heavily over how expensive the damn instrument was, she decided that the look of absolute glee that spread across Ignarius’ face once he opened his present, made it worth every gold piece.

 

“Ow! Hey!” A sharp flick to her forehead snapped Jodariel out of her musing, and she glared menacingly at the laughing Ignarius, who must have noticed her presence after he stopped playing.

 

“Hey yourself” he greets casually and continues playing, “when did you get home?”

 

“Just now. I saw the lights on so I figured you must be out here”

 

“Well you figured right”

 

“Clearly. So how was your day?” Jodariel asks. Ignarius shrugs his shoulders.

 

“Fine. Nothin’ to write home about though. How about you? You musta’ been pretty busy today, huh?” Ignarius remarks lightheartedly, but Jodariel remains silent.

 

“I suppose you could say that” she responds quietly after a long moment. Ignarius stops playing for a moment and raises an eyebrow at her.

 

“Somethin’ the matter?” he asks cautiously, but Jodariel simply shakes her head.

 

“No, no it’s nothing” she assures, reaching to untie the elastic band that held up Ignarius’ hair. Jodariel gently combed her fingers through the black strands, untangling any knots that might have formed, before separating them into three equal sections, and beginning to carefully weave them into a neat and tidy braid. Leaving a small amount unbraided, she took the elastic and tied it around the end of the braid, making sure it was tight enough to ensure that none of the hairs would fall out until Ignarius took it out later.

 

Once she was finished with her work, Ignarius reached back to gently run his hand down the length of his now braided hair, before sitting up and leaning his guitar against the trunk of the tree, and turning to look at Jodariel.

 

“Com’ere” he says, motioning for her to come sit with him. The swing chair isn’t quite big enough for the both of them and Jodariel ends up sitting more on Ignarius than on the chair, but they manage to settle in and get comfortable anyways, and Jodariel leans back, the gentle swaying of the chair and the soft sound of crickets chirping in the distance helping to settle her anxiousness slightly.

 

“What’s goin’ on?” Ignarius asks, breaking the comfortable silence that had enveloped the two. Jodariel deflates, having hoped that her partner couldn’t tell how agitated she was, which in hindsight was a rather feeble hope. Ignarius may not be a mind reader, but he wasn’t oblivious either, and could always tell when something was troubling her, even when she tried her best to hide it.

 

“Nothing’s wrong?” Jodariel responds, avoiding Ignarius’ gaze.

 

“Hmmmm, I don’t think I believe you” Ignarius states bluntly. “So I’m gonna ask one more time. What’s wrong?”

 

Jodariel remains stubbornly silent. Ignarius sighs.

 

“Alright babe, I’m gonna give you two options,” Ignarius begins, “One: we can sit here and I can annoy you all night long until you tell me what the hell’s goin’ on, OR two: you can save yourself the headache and just spill it. Your choice.”

 

“I fail to see where the choice aspect of this arrangement comes in” Jodariel snips. 

 

“Thats cuz there ain’t one, you’re either gonna tell me now, or you’re gonna tell me later after I’ve annoyed the ever livin’ shit outta you, but one way or another, you’re gonna tell me” Ignarius replies with a smirk, completely unperturbed by the harsh glare Jodariel sends. 

 

Ultimately, Jodariel knows that she has to tell Ignarius about the circumstances of their situation, especially now that she’s agreed to look after the abandoned infant until she can be taken in, despite not actually consulting Ignarius before doing so. And as difficult as it is for her to admit, Jodariel is going to need all the help she can get if she actually intends to look after this child for the next three moon cycles on top of working her new job. Jodariel groans in annoyance.

 

“It has to do with the little girl you found on our back porch this morning” Jodariel states after a long moment of silence.

 

“Ok, what happened to her?” Ignarius asks, slightly confused.

 

“Nothing, she’s asleep is our spare bedroom, but that’s only the beginning of the problem”

 

“What’s the rest of our problem?”

 

“Earlier today I went into town intending to leave her in the care of the officials at the adoption center… only to find out that they don’t have the space available to take in any more children.” Ignarius’ expression changes from confusion to outright bewilderment.

 

“Whadya mean they don’t got the fuckin’ space?” Ignarius squaks.

 

“It’s not like back in the Commonwealth where orphanages were filled to the brim with children, despite not having the resources or staff to actually take care of them. There are laws and regulations now that prevent child-care establishments from taking in more children than they are able to provide for, and unfortunately for us it would seem as though the only one we have access to has reached its max capacity” Jodariel explains.

 

“Alright, I guess that makes sense? So what does that mean for the kid?” Ignarius questions in a way that suggests he has an answer in mind, but doesn’t quite like the sound of it.

 

“Well, as of right now… she’s just going to have to stay with us” Jodariel answers, turning to look at Ignarius who stares at her with a puzzled expression for a moment before her words finally register in his mind.

 

“Oh, ok”

 

A long moment of silence passes between the two, as Jodariel stares at Ignarius, very confused about his calm reaction to the whole situation.

 

“You’re… reacting to this a lot better than I thought you would” Jodariel comments.

 

“Was I supposed to react some other way?” Ignarius questions.

 

“No, it’s just… I suppose I expected you to be a bit more apprehensive to the idea of taking in and caring for such a small infant for a period of time as long as three moon cycles, especially after how paniced you seemed this morning.”

 

“Ya I guess, but I had all day to think about it and somethin' was tellin' me that we might end up lookin' after the kid so I came to terms with that likely possibility around lunch time. Besides, it’s not like the kid’s got anywhere else to go. What, did you think I was gonna tell you to get rid of her just cuz I don’t know how to change a fuckin’ diaper?”

 

“Well-”

 

“Don’t answer that” Ignarius cuts her off. “My point here is that if you’re worried about what I think about takin’ care of the kid, then don’t, cuz if you think it’s a good idea to hold on to her until they got room at the group home place, then I’m all for it”

 

“But it’s not a matter of whether I think it’s a good idea, it’s a matter of how are we going to look after her when we both work full time jobs? Not to mention, do you even know how to take care of a baby?” Jodariel asks.

 

“No. But you do, and you can teach me” Ignarius responds as though it were the most obvious thing in the whole world.

 

Jodariel sighs. As pleasantly surprised as she is to find that Ignarius is supportive of her “totally-logic-driven” desire to care for the infant girl, a small part of her can’t help but think of all the things that could prove a challenge throughout the next three moon cycles, the biggest one being that they have no one to care for the girl while the two of them work, as she is still far too young to be enrolled in any kind of day-care program, and they haven’t been in Talati long enough to know anyone well enough to ask them to care for her.

 

“Well I suppose we don’t have too many other options at the moment, but what about work. I start my new job in a week so I can’t ask for time off, and as liberal as your boss is with you about what days you do and don’t work there’s no way he’d give you three moon cycles off” Jodariel says.

 

“Why don’t we just ask the Birch’s to watch her?” Ignarius asks, jabbing a thumb behind them, in the direction of the house next door to them, which houses an elderly sap couple who the two had spoken with a few time since moving here.

 

“Ignarius we can’t just ask the neighbors that we barely know to look after a child we found on our back doorstep” Jodariel chided.

 

“Why not? They seem real nice, I’m sure she’d be fine with them.” Jodariel pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration.

 

“I’m not doubting that she would be well taken care of, I’m saying that there is no way that the elderly couple we met three weeks ago will agree to looking after an infant child all day.”

 

“Says you, I’m sure they’d be happy to do it, in fact, why don’t we go find out right now” Ignarius proposes with a devious look on his face.

 

“What are you -  **HEY** ” Jodariel yells as Ignarius wraps his arms around her back and legs and stands up, lifting her into the air with ease, before walking out toward the front of the house.

 

“Ignarius, put me down  **right now** ” Jodariel commands roughly. 

 

“Mmmmm… nah” Ignarius answers, laughing as Jodariel latches on to him with an iron tight grip.

 

“Iggy, I swear on the scribes above, if you drop me, I’m leaving you.”

 

“Oh knock it off. A) I’m not gonna drop you and B) even if I did, you wouldn’t be goin’ anywhere, so don’t even start with that bullshit.” Jodariel glares at Ignarius as he carries her to the front of the house. He sets her down just as they exit the backyard gate and they begin, albeit reluctantly on Jodariel’s part, the very short walk to the Birch’s front door.

 

Once they’ve reached the front door to their neighbor’s home, Ignarius knocks on the door and waits. A few moments later, the door swings open to reveal an elderly sap woman with dark brown bark, dressed in a long purple cloak, and a pair of large circular glasses balanced on the end of her long pointed nose. She smiles warmly at the two.

 

“Ah, Ignarius, Jodariel, such a wonderful surprise” the old woman exclaimed.

 

“Good evening Mrs. Birch, how are you?” Ignarius asks politely.

 

“Oh I’m doing fine, and how about you? Are the two of you settling in alright?”

 

“We’re doin’ ok, but we have a bit of a problem that we hoped you might be able to help us with.” Mrs. Birch’s expression shifts to slight confusion.

 

“What is it?” she asks. Ignarius casts a glance at Jodariel before continuing.

 

“You see, this morning a baby girl was left on our back doorstep and for the time bein’ we’re gonna be takin’ care of her, only problem is that the two of us work full time and can’t look after her durin’ the day. So, we were wonderin’ if maybe you and your husband would be willin’ to watch her while we’re gone?”

 

“With financial compensation of course” Jodariel adds in. A moment of silence passes as the old sap processes what she was just told, but once she does her expression slowly changes to one of sadness and concern.

 

“Oh goodness that sounds terrible, the poor thing. But yes, of course, we’d be more than happy to look after her” Mrs. Birch replies. Ignarius shoots Jodariel a look that screams ‘I told you’. Jodariel ignores him.

 

“Are you absolutely sure? We can wait until you speak with your husband until you give us an answer” Jodariel says.

 

“Oh goodness don’t you worry about Archie” Mrs. Birch says dismissively. “Our grandchildren live all the way in Milano and so Archie rarely gets the chance to tell them stories of his glory days in the army, so I assure you that he will be more than happy to have a new ear around to listen to him prattle on.”

 

“Well, thank you Mrs. Birch, this really means a lot to us. We should be gettin’ back pretty soon so we’ll discuss the details of our arrangement later?” Ignarius says.

 

“Yes yes of course, I won’t keep you. Just let me know when you plan on bringing her over and I’ll make sure the house is ready. Have a good evening you two.” Mrs. Birch says kindly.

 

“Thank you Mrs. Birch. Good Night” Jodariel says, following Ignarius off the front porch and back toward their home.

 

“Told you” Ignarius grinned. Jodariel glared at him.

 

“Shut up.” Ignarius laughed, slinging an arm around her shoulder as the two entered their home and began preparations for dinner.

 

Later that night, Jodariel sat on the couch, mindlessly watching some TV show while feeding the baby, when Ignarius walked into the living room, freshly showered and dressed in his night clothes, and hopped over the back of the couch to sit next to her.

 

“So, what are we gonna call her?” Ignarius asks. This question catches Jodariel off guard as she finally realizes that, in all the chaos of the day’s events, she hadn’t thought to give the child a name.

 

“I’m not sure. I hadn’t thought about what we should call her to be perfectly honest” she admits. A moment of contemplative silence passes between the two adults.

 

“How about Amber?” Ignarious suggests. Jodariel casts him a fixed look.

 

“Amber? Really? You want to name this little girl after her eye color?” Jodariel questions.

 

“What? Amber’s a nice name” Ignarius remarks defensively. Jodariel rolls her eyes and looks down at the little girl, who is currently fixated on her dinner. Although she can’t quite place why, Jodariel actually finds that something about the name Amber seems quite fitting for this child.

 

“Well whoever ends up adopting her will probably change her name anyways, so I suppose it doesn’t matter what we call her. Amber should do for now.” Ignarius casts a glance down at the feeding child, his expression a mixture of apprehension and curiosity, but says nothing else, turning his attention back to the TV.

 

The rest of the evening was rather peaceful compared to the earlier chaos, which Jodariel hoped was some sort of indicator of how the next three moon cycles would go. Only time will tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case any of you were wondering, this chapter basically embodies how I think their relationship would work. Jodi is the more serious one of the two while Iggy tends to be the jokester, but when Jodi needs a little help Iggy is always there to pick her up both physically and metaphorically (and vice versa). Hmm, Iggy you seem surprisingly calm confident in your ability to handle a little baby, I wonder if he'll maintain that same bravado once he's actually holding her... So ya thats chapter 6, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I am planning on getting chapter 7 up fairly soon, maybe in like a week or so, so stay tuned for that and leave a comment down below telling me what you think of this story (I live to talk to you guys its so much fun) so anyways thanks for reading and I'll see you all soon for chapter 7.  
> PS for those of you rolling your eyes at me for calling the baby Amber when the story is called Amber Eyes, i named this child approximately 6 months before I started writing this story so there was no way in hell that it was going to change. Also I like the name Amber so fight me.


	7. First Day Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too sure how I feel about this one but I spent like 4 hours writing it so its going up. Hope you enjoy!

The next few days passed in a chaotic blur. Between unpacking all the boxes that were still scattered around the new house, talking on the phone with her boss for hours on end regarding the details of her new job, and caring for baby Amber, Jodariel had little time to leave the house to go grocery shopping during the day, and by the time Ignarius got out of work most of the shops were closing if not already closed. By the time sixthday rolled around, the two had grown sufficiently tired of ordering in dinner, and decided that they would go shopping together as soon as Ignarius got off work at around noon time.

 

As the auto-wagon pulled in to the parking lot of the market center, Jodariel was filled with a feeling of dread that only comes when one is being forced to do something they really don’t want to do, but not doing it would result in an equally unsatisfactory outcome. Now don’t misunderstand, Jodariel doesn’t hate shopping, Jodariel absolutely  **loathes** shopping. There were always too many people out, the products were often far too overpriced for what you were getting, and the lines for checkout were so long that even her patience would begin to wear thin by the time she stepped up to pay for her items. Long story short, going to the merket center was one of the last things Jodariel wanted to do today, but the fridge needed to be filled and if a small infant was going to be staying with them for the next three moon cycles then they would probably need to stock up on baby supplies as well, which Ignarius, who usually did all the shopping, would have absolutely no idea what he’d need to get, so unfortunately for Jodariel, she would not be able to avoid tagging along this time around.

 

After what felt like an eternity, Ignarius finally found a parking spot that was just a short walk away from one of the many long, narrow alleyways that made up the market center. Putting the wagon in park and turning off the engine Ignarius turns to Jodariel.

 

“So, what’s the plan?” he asks. 

 

“Well, we could do this one of two ways, the first way being we stay together and make our way to all the shops we need to go to one by one, or we split up, you’d get groceries and I’d get baby supplies, and meet back here at the wagon once we’re done” Jodariel explains.

 

“Ok seems simple enough, what do you think we should do?” 

 

“On any other day I’d recommend we divide and conquer, that way we won’t have to be here as long, but because we have Amber I think we’re probably better off staying together, just so that one of us can keep an eye on her at all times.”

 

“Sounds fine to me. Alrighty then, let’s get this shitshow over with shall we” Ignarius says, opening his door and stepping out of the wagon. Jodariel follows suit and gets out of the passenger side, opening the backseat door to remove Amber from the car seat that one of Jodariel’s foster children had given to her some time ago. Due to the cold weather, the little girl was dressed in a purple hooded coat with a matching pair of warm pants that, like all the clothes Jodariel had dressed her in the past few days, were a few sizes too big for her, but nonetheless did a sufficient job of shielding the small infant from the frosty winds of winter.

 

For the first time since Amber arrived on Jodariel and Ignarius’ doorstep, the little girl’s eyes were wide open and alert, staring wondrously at all the new sights around her. As they weaved through the rows of auto wagons Jodariel had to strengthen her hold around the infant girl to compensate for all the excited wiggling she was doing. As troublesome as it was to hold on to a squirming baby while trying to maneuver through a crowd of people, Jodariel couldn’t help but smile at how happy she seemed.

 

“Which shop should we hit first?” Ignarius calls as they make their way toward the middle of the market center.

 

“The building with the blue sign to the left” Jodariel calls back. A bell above the door rings as Jodariel and Ignarius enter the shop and are greeted by the sight of a young wyrm woman with a dark brown eye and pale yellow scales seated behind the counter.

 

“Welcome to Dreamland Infant Supplies, how can I help you two today?” the wyrm greets kindly.

 

“We need shit for this one” Ignarius replies pointing to Amber, who's preoccupied herself with trying to pull off the buttons of Jodariel’s coat and put them in her mouth. The wyrm woman gasps slightly.

 

“Oh she’s absolutely beautiful, how wonderful. How old is she?”

 

“4 weeks” Jodariel answers. It wasn’t completely a lie, as Amber was most definitely under 6 weeks when she first came to them, but they didn’t have an exact idea as to how old she was. 4 weeks old seemed like a pretty good estimate though. 

 

“Oh she’s brand new. Does she have any older siblings or is she your first?” the woman asks completely oblivious to the way Ignarius and Jodariel stiffen awkwardly at the assumption that Amber is their child.

 

“Actually she isn’t ours” Jodariel explains, pulling Amber’s fingers from around her coat buttons. “We’re just looking after her for the time being and we need to stock up on supplies.”

 

“Ah, I see” the woman nods in understanding. “Well regardless is there anything I can help you find?”

 

Once they have everything they need, Jodariel and Ignarius pay for their goods and leave the shop, offering a small goodbye to the young wyrm woman before allowing the door to close behind them.

 

“Well that wasn’t awkward” Ignarius comments.

 

“I suppose you can’t really blame her thought process though. You don’t usually go into those kinds of stores unless your shopping for your child or someone else’s and seeing as how we walked in there with an infant it makes sense that she thought we were her parents” Jodariel rationalizes. 

 

“I guess” Ignarius shrugs glancing over at Amber and Jodariel out of the corner of his eye.

 

“What?” Jodariel asks, having caught him staring.

 

“Nothin’. Where to next?” he asks.

 

“Well we have everything we need for Amber so now we can drop these bags off at the wagon and come back to get groceries” Jodariel says.

 

“FOOD” Ignarius yells, before taking off toward the direction where their wagon was parked.

 

“IGNARIUS YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT” Jodariel shouts after him just as he disappears behind a row of parked wagons. Jodariel pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration and looks down at Amber, who’s resumed her quest to ingest all the buttons on Jodariel’s coat.

 

“It would seem as though I have two children to deal with today. Marvelous” she sighs before taking off after him. “IGGY, WAIT FOR ME DAMMIT.”

 

After dropping the bags off at the wagon, the group of three head toward the grocery store located in the alley on the opposite side of the one market center. As usual, the grocery store is packed with people, much to Jodariel’s chargin, and the lines for checkout are nearly out the door, much to even more of Jodariel’s chargin.

 

“I hate the grocery store” Jodariel remarks to no one in particular as Ignarius goes to grab a cart.

 

“Ya well I don’t like havin’ an empty fridge so just keep your head down and your mouth shut, and we’ll be outta here in no time” Ignarius says as he pushes the cart into the store. As the doors slide open, a gust of cool air rushes at them, and Amber lets out a loud, gurgled yell and begins flailing her arms wildly in response.

 

“What’re you screamin’ about, huh?” Ignarius asks, smiling down at the squirming infant.

 

“The rush of air probably surprised her, she’s much more sensitive to outside stimuli so it was probably a lot more jarring for her” Jodariel explains, scanning the isles of packaged goods, occasionally pulling one off the shelf and throwing it into the cart, Ignarius does the same. They continue down each isle, filling their cart with all the necessary, and unnecessary, items that they will need to stock up their fridge before finally making their way over to the cash registers.

 

“This is going to take forever” Jodariel mutters from the back of the register line, a solid 20 or so people standing between her and the register.

 

“Don’t worry you’ll live” Ignarius remarks from next to her, leaning against the cart as he digs at the dirt under his fingernail. Jodariel scowled as she willed the line to move faster, if not for her own sanity then for Amber’s, who was losing interest in the loud and bright atmosphere, and was beginning to whine irritably.

 

“What’s up with her?” Ignarius asks.

 

“We’ve been out for a while so she’s probably starting to get tired and hungry” Jodariel responds, adjusting the girl so that her head lays on Jodariel’s shoulder, rather than cradled in her arms like before. It seems to help a little bit but she doesn’t look any less grumpy. 

 

The line continues to creep forward ever so slowly as time passes, and by the time there’s only one person left in front of them, Jodariel has to beat down the urge to stab her eyes out with something sharp, the squirming infant in her arms shares her sentiment. When Ignarius finally finishes paying, Jodariel grabs an armful of grocery bags and then proceeds to speed walk out of the grocery store toward the wagon, completely abandoning Ignarius back at the register. 

 

At the wagon, Jodariel throws the grocery bags in the trunk before strapping a, now very agitated, Amber into her carseat. Just as she finished buckling the infant in, Ignarius finally arrives with the rest of their groceries.

 

“Thanks for waitin’ for me” he greets sarcastically as he throws the bags into the trunk along with the rest.

 

“You were taking too long” Jodariel remarks, getting into the passenger side of the wagon. Ignarius slams the trunk shut before hopping into the driver seat, jamming the key into the ignition and turning it, causing the auto-wagon to roar to life.

 

“Ok, what do you say we get the hell outta here girls?” Ignarius asks.

 

“Yes please, get me away from this hell hole” Jodariel responds. Ignarius chuckles as he throws the wagon into reverse, backing out of the spot they were in, before jamming the clutch and throwing the stick shift into first gear, and driving out of the parking lot and onto the road back toward the house.

 

Once home, the two unload the car of all the supplies they bought and while Ignarius begins putting things away and making dinner, Jodariel heads to the spare bedroom, which they had converted into Amber’s temporary bedroom, and gets to feeding her. By the time Amber is fed, burped, and changed, the small infant is already fast asleep, completely worn out from the day’s excitement. Jodariel places her down in the bassinet before quietly exiting the room, closing the door behind her. 

 

In the kitchen, Ignarius is rummaging things around in the back of the fridge, and doesn’t seem to notice as Jodariel enters.

 

“What’s for dinner?” Ignarius jumps in surprise at Jodariel’s reappearance and slams the back of his head one of the shelves in the fridge, cursing loudly as he curls up on the floor, clutching the back of his head in pain.

 

“Fuck Jo, give a guy a little warnin’ before you sneak up on him like that” Ignarius huffs.

 

“I wouldn’t have to give you any warning if you were more aware of your surroundings. What’s for dinner?” she asks for a second time. Ignarius groans, getting up off the floor and closing the refrigerator door.

 

“I’ve got some steak cookin’ it’ll be ready in a minute. I gotta go grab a knife from one of the boxes, I’ll be right back.” he says as he walks out of the kitchen.

 

“I’ll start cutting up some vegetables then” Jodariel responds, pulling out the cutting board and the produce they picked up at the store earlier that day.

 

“Don’t touch my stove” Ignarius calls from the other room. Jodariel groans in annoyance.

 

“You’re never going to let me live that one down are you?”

 

“Not a chance in hell sweetheart” Ignarius smirks as he returns with the steak knife in hand. 

 

“So, you sorted everything out for your new job?” he asks.

 

“Almost, I still have to go in for some kind of orientation before I officially begin working, but for the most part everything is set up and I’m ready to get started” Jodariel says.

 

“Wow, that’s pretty impressive. You’re like a super secret government agent now.” Jodariel chuckles.

 

“Oh please, I’m hardly a government agent. My role in this new position will pertain solely to training competent and reliable soldiers. Besides, I have no interest in doing fieldwork anymore.” 

 

“Really? How come?” Ignarius asks curiously. Jodariel thinks for a moment.

 

“I suppose I never really had too much of an interest in it to begin with. While I may have been a successful Captain on the bloodborder, my decision to join the military was one I made out of necessity rather than any kind of desire to serve the Commonwealth. I might have been a good soldier but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I enjoyed being one. And if I’m being perfectly honest that’s probably the reason why I turned myself in after I let those Harp fletchlings go. By that time I realized that I’d rather live in exile than devote myself to a system that treats its soldiers more like animals than people.”

 

“Wow” Ignarius says after a moment of silence.

 

“Ya. Sounds king of dumb doesn’t it?” Jodariel sighs.

 

“Eh, I’ve heard dumber in my time. I may never have served before, but I definitely get the feeling of being treated like an animal.”

 

“How so?” Jodariel asks. Ignarius shrugs his shoulders.

 

“I grew up in what people back then called a ‘polar city’, and a polar city is basically where one half of the city is made up of people who are so fuckin’ rich that they have absolutely no idea what to do with all their money, and the other half is made up of people so poor that the streets are lined with the dead bodies of all the people who died of sickness, starvation, or even suicide. So the term polar relates to the two halves of the city being polar opposites of each other basically”

 

“That’s terrible” Jodariel says.

 

“You’re not kidding. My family was pretty average by comparison. We weren’t rich by any means but we could afford basic necessities and still have some spare change left over after every paycheck. Anyways the point I’m tryin’ to make is that I grew up seeing all those rich bastards ride around in their fancy carriages, making faces and snickerin’ like the self righteous fuckers they are. It always boiled my blood the way they acted like they weren’t part of the reason why these people were livin’ the way they were” Ignarius finishes.

 

“Wow” Jodariel says after a moment of silence.

 

“Ya. Sounds kinda dumb doesn’t it?” Ignarius asks with a smirk. Jodariel shrugs her shoulders.

 

“I’ve heard dumber in my time.” Ignarius laughs.

 

“I’m sure you have. Anyways this should be ready by now, so let’s each shall we.”

 

“Yes, let's” she says, grabbing two plates and heading over to the kitchen table. The two spend the rest of the evening as they usually do, on the couch watching TV, and while Amber wakes back up a few times, loudly demanding to be fed or changed, and the rest of the evening passes relatively uneventfully, something that Jodariel is rather thankful for after the tiring events of the day. 

Now all that is left to do is enjoy her last weekend off before going back to work, and silently pray that things continue going as smoothly as they have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really sure how this chapter advances the plot in any way but this is just how it came out. Let me know what you think of this chapter and I will see you all soon for chapter 8.


	8. Push and Pull

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Raises from the dead* Sup sluts

The morning that Jodariel begins her new job comes in the blink of an eye. Having woken up far earlier than she should have and been unable to go back to sleep, Jodariel finds herself nervously pacing around the house, trying to find something to occupy her time with while being quiet enough not to wake Ignarius or Amber. 

 

Although she never outwardly showed it, Jodariel was a rather anxious person, the years she spent in the military conditioned her mind to be constantly on the lookout for any potential dangers that might be lurking just out of sight. While this skill may have leant itself quite useful out along the bloodborder or in the downside, where death laid just one misstep away from claiming your life for good, it was fairly useless now that Jodariel was no longer a soldier or an exile. As a result of the lack of danger for her to be cautious of in recent years, Jodariel’s overactive mind fell into the extremely bad habit of creating danger out of literally nothing, which often lead to Jodariel overthinking, and thus panicking over, the simplest of situations, something she was very much ashamed of.

 

The unusually pleasant squawking sound of Ignarius’ alarm clock from the other room pulls Jodariel from her thoughts. Walking into their shared bedroom she turns the alarm clock off before casting a glance at her partner, who is still very much unconscious, lying on his stomach with his face shoved so far into his pillow that Jodariel wonders if he can actually breathe or if he’s slowly suffocating himself to death. Honestly Jodariel doesn’t even know why Ignarius bothers with an alarm clock, as they have proven time and time again to be rather useless in waking him up, despite the loud ringing sound going off less than a foot from his head. 

 

“Iggy, it’s time to get up” Jodariel says, though her words fall on deaf ears as Ignarius shows absolutely no signs of waking up. Sighing, Jodariel reaches over and places a hand on one of Ignarius’ shoulders, giving it a firm, slightly rough shake.

 

“Iggy, wake up” she says slightly louder. Finally, Ignarius groans and shifts, and picking his head up from his pillow he looks up at Jodariel, his eyes squinted and blinking tiredly.

 

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo” Ignarius whines, rolling onto his back, shoving his pillow over his face and pulling the blanket back over him. Jodariel rolls her eyes at his childishness.

 

“Come on Iggy, if you don’t get up now you won’t be up for another hour and then you’ll be late for work, now stop whining and go get ready” Jodariel ordered. Ignarius let out another irritated groan, but obediently peeled himself from the comforts of his bed and staggered his way to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Satisfied with having successfully woken Ignarius, Jodariel exits their bedroom before walking down the hall toward the Amber’s room. 

 

Jodariel slowly and carefully opened the door and entered the room, quietly making her way toward the bassinet which held the still sleeping infant. Jodariel sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully leaned over the side of the bassinet, taking a moment to simply observe the tiny child. Despite only being a week since the little girl arrived on their doorstep, Amber had already started gaining a little bit of weight from the regular feedings Jodariel had given her. Years of experience with infants and small children had taught Jodariel that a set and regular feeding schedule was one of the most crucial parts of raising a healthy baby, and while Amber was still considerably small and underweight for an infant around her age, if she continued improving at the rate she was at, then she would be in perfect condition in no time at all.

 

Reaching a hand down, Jodariel places her hand on Amber’s stomach and begins to rub slow circles into her little tummy, gently wiggling her every now and again in an attempt to wake her up. It only took a few moments of this before her eyes finally cracked open and blinked tiredly around the room, her arms and legs pushed outward away from her body in a stretching motion, and a big happy smile made its way onto her lips as soon as those big amber eyes focused on Jodariel. 

 

Amber cooed happily as she wrapped her tiny fingers around the large hand still rubbing her stomach. Lifting her from the crib, Jodariel carries Amber out into the kitchen for her morning feed. By the time the little girl is finished with her breakfast, Ignarius has finished getting ready and trudges tiredly into the kitchen. Making a beeline for the pantry, Ignarius pulls out his favorite sugary cereal and the carton of milk, dumping an unhealthy amount of both into his bowl before beginning to shovel heaping spoonfuls of the sugary delight into his mouth. Jodariel stares at him for a moment, wondering how Ignarius can possibly stomach eating something that was 98% sugar. 

 

Just as Jodariel was about to leave the room to go put Amber back in her crib so that Jodariel could get ready for her day as well, a thought crossed her mind. Ever since Amber had arrived on their back doorstep and began staying with them, Ignarius had been incredibly hesitant and restrained when it came to handling the small girl. On the one hand, a cautious and careful hand was necessary when dealing with small infants, as being too rough with a baby Amber’s size could cause serious injury to the fragile child. On the other hand however, Ignarius’ almost paranoid fear and being anywhere near the infant girl was beginning to grate on Jodariel’s nerves, and if Ignarius was serious about helping Jodariel take care of Amber until she could be put up for adoption, then he was going to have to get over his paranoia and start pulling his weight. 

 

“Hey Iggy” Jodariel calls.

 

“Hmmm” Ignarius responds without looking up from his breakfast, his mouth full of cereal.

 

‘Perfect’ Jodariel thinks to herself as she sneaks up behind the shorter man.

 

“I need you to hold something for me. Take this.”

 

“What am I holdin-  **OH HI** ” Ignarius yells in panic as Amber is all but shoved into his arms, and Jodariel takes a step back as Ignarius quickly readjusts the small girl so he doesn’t drop her. Amber on the other hand seems unperturbed by the change, latching onto Ignarius’ shirt and continuing to babble happily to herself.

 

“Any particular reason fer this?” Ignarius asks, motioning down to the squirming infant in his arms.

 

“I need to get ready for work and I’ve decided that you’re going to watch Amber while I do that” Jodariel responds, her firm tone implying that there was no room for argument. Ignarius casts a nervous glance down at the tiny girl as Jodariel turns and exits the kitchen. A small smile spreads on her lips when an audible “oh please don’t spit up on me” comes out from the direction of the kitchen, as Jodariel closes the bathroom door behind her to begin preparing for the day ahead.

 

About half an hour later, Jodariel emerges from the shared bedroom, washed and dressed in a dark green button up shirt, which may or may not actually belong to Ignarius, black work pants, and dark brown lace-up combat boots, professional looking, but not nearly as constricting as some other types of clothes. Quickly and quietly, Jodariel sneaks her way from the hallway to the entrance of the kitchen, making sure to stay hidden behind the wall, and peaks around the corner. Ignarius appears to have calmed down from his initial panic, and has managed to situate himself against the counter in a way that allows him to hold Amber in his left arm and use his right to continue shoveling cereal into his mouth at a rate that would imply he’s had multiple bowls by this point, all while reading the morning paper which he had propped open on top of the toaster-oven.

 

Just as Jodariel is about to enter the kitchen and make her presence known, Amber begins to stir in Ignarius’ arms. Having not tied his hair up yet, the long black strands dangled and swayed temptingly in front of the little girl’s face. During an opportune moment, in which Ignarius ducked his head slightly in order to continue reading the article he was on, the little girl managed to reach up and wrap her tiny little fingers around the strand of hair before yanking them down toward her.

 

“OW OW OW, shit shit  **shit** ” Ignarius cursed in pain, causing Amber to burst out laughing and tighten her hold on Ignarius’ hair.

 

“Ow, fuck me, let go of my hair you little shit” Ignarius demands, using his right hand to try and tug his hair out of Amber’s clenched fist. Once he finally succeeded in ending the painful tugging of his scalp, Ignarius fixed the little girl with an annoyed glare.

 

“Hey! Don’t touch the hair” Ignarius scolded harshly. A brief moment of silence passes, as Amber stares up at Ignarius, unsure of what was going on. Ignarius’ harsh expression quickly shifts to confusion and then mild panic as soon as he notices those big eyes beginning to fill with water.

 

“Hey come on now, no need fer any o’ that” Ignarius says. This does nothing to remedy the situation as tears begin to fall down the little girl’s cheeks and sobs begin to escape from her mouth.

 

“No. No cryin’. You’ve got no reason to cry, ya hear me” Ignarius continues, but this only seems to further upset the now crying child.

 

“Amber” Ignarius says warningly, but it’s already too late, and as the tiny infant’s cries increase in volume and she begins flailing her arms and legs widely, Ignarius wraps his other arm around her, looking around the kitchen in a panic for something he could use to calm her down. After a moment of futile searching, Ignarius finally rolls his eyes and groans in defeat.

 

“Alright, fine, you win, here ya go” he says, taking the strand of hair that Amber had yanked on earlier and allowing it to once dangle over the girl’s face. It took a moment for her to realize it was there, but once she did her cries stopped relatively quickly, although she made no move to grab for the hair. Ignarius raised an eyebrow at the little girl.

 

“Go ahead, ya might as well” he says, only slightly encouragingly. Amber continues to stare up at the man for a moment before slowly lifting her hand up to dangling strands, gingerly wrapping her fingers around them, and then yanking them as hard as her little arms possibly could.

 

“OW, fuck me, why ya gotta pull so fuckin’ hard?” Ignarius curses, and once again Amber bursts out laughing, obviously finding a great deal of job and amusement in her caretaker’s outbursts. Ignarius rolls his eyes, but does not attempt to remove his hair from Amber’s grasp, not wanting another tantrum from the infant. Although Amber had thankfully moved on from trying to forcefully rip Ignarius’ hair from his head however, like with just about everything she got her grubby fingers on, Amber has now shoved Ignarius’ hair into her mouth, and has begun to happily mouth on the black strands. 

 

“I just washed that ya know” Ignarius says, referring to his hair, but is met with little more than happy cooing from the small infant as she continues to chew on the black strands. Ignarius shakes his head in frustration, but the smile and the fond expression that spreads across his face betray his facade of annoyance.

 

Jodariel shakes her head and laughs silently to herself from her spot behind the doorway, finding Ignarius’ attempt to discipline Amber, only to end up giving her what she wants because he doesn’t know how to properly deal with children, to be nothing short of hilarious. As Jodariel finally enters the kitchen and begins to make herself something to eat, she can’t help but notice that despite the incident that occurred moments ago, Ignarius makes no move to try and hand Amber back to Jodariel. In fact, once he’s finished eating and has tossed the newspaper onto the kitchen table for Jodariel to read, he even takes Amber with him to go finish getting ready for work, only handing the little girl over to Jodariel as he’s kissing her on the cheek and heading out the door.

 

Jodariel watches as Ignarius slides into the driver’s seat of the auto-wagon and starts the ignition, before finally pulling out of the driveway and speeding off down the road. Glancing down at Amber, who’s taken an interest in the small buttons of the dark green shirt, Jodariel nods to herself, pleasantly surprised with how well that little experiment had gone. Of course Jodariel would never do anything that would result in Amber getting hurt, however she never expected Ignarius to adapt to dealing with Amber as well as he did, having never dealt with children this young, although being a massive child himself probably helped a little bit.

 

After finishing her breakfast, Jodariel went and dressed Amber in warm clothes and gathered her things before heading next door to the Birch’s. Upon arriving at the front porch, Jodariel knocks on the door and waits. After a short moment, the front door unlocks and opens to reveal Mrs. Birch.

 

“Ah, Jodariel, just the person I was hoping for” the old sap greets happily.

 

“Good morning Mrs. Birch. How are you today?” Jodariel asks.

 

“Oh I’m fine thank you, please come in, you must be freezing out there” Mrs. Birch says, moving out of the way to allow Jodariel to enter. Following Mrs. Birch through her home, Jodariel takes note of the various pictures that line the wall, some older showing younger versions of her and Mr. Birch together, others newer, showing their children and grandchildren playing happily.

 

“Archie and I have been so excited to have little Amber stay with us. I believe I’ve mentioned this before but all our grandchildren live in other regions of the Union so we don’t get to see them very often. It’ll be nice having someone around to look after during the day” Mrs. Birch says.

 

“Believe me Mrs. Birch, Ignarius and I are beyond grateful that you’re willing to do this for us, especially with such little notice” Jodariel states.

 

“Oh nonsense, dear. Having Amber around will a nice change of pace for both of us” the old sap assures as she enters the kitchen, Jodariel right behind her.

 

“Archie, dear. Jodariel and Amber are here” Mrs. Birch announces to an old, wrinkled sap seated at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper. The sap looks up from his paper and studies Jodariel for a moment before tossing the paper onto the table and standing up.

 

“Captain Jodariel” Mr. Birch greets with a deep and powerful voice, extending his hand out.

 

“Commander Archwald” responds, taking the saps extended hand and returning his handshake. Mrs. Birch rolls her eyes.

 

“Oh goodness, here we go again” the old sap laments, causing Mr. Birch to burst out laughing.

 

“Ah quit your complaining Petunia, you knew exactly what you were signing up for” Mr. Birch quips, earning a sharp glare from his wife. The man laughs again.

 

“Anyways, now that the introductions are over with, let me see the little darling” Mrs. Birch says, making her way over to Jodariel and all but taking Amber from her. As the tiny infant girl settles into Mrs. Birch’s arms she smiles happily.

 

“Oh my goodness look at you” the old sap coos. “Aren’t you just the most precious little thing.”

 

Jodariel stands in the middle of the Birch’s kitchen in a state of mild shock, unsure of how to feel about having her not-child all but ripped from her arms, and then coddled and swooned over by the elderly sap. Mr. Birch slides up beside her and places a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Don’t you worry one little bit over Amber, she’ll be well taken care of here. If you’re planning on being on time for your first day then I’d get going if I were you” Mr. Birch instructs, casting a glance toward his wife, who was now completely absorbed with Amber. “She’s going to be a while.”

 

Bidding the Birch’s and good day and thanking them again for looking after Amber, Jodariel exits their home and makes her way back toward her own. Grabbing everything she’ll need for the day, Jodariel locks up the house and hops into the driver’s seat of her auto-wagon, jamming the key into the ignition and starting up the engine. Before she drives away, Jodariel casts a glance at the Birch residence. Despite knowing full well that Amber will be well looked after with the elderly couple, and that if anything did come up they had both her and Ignarius’ personal phone numbers, Jodariel can’t help the nervous feeling that’s currently eating a hole through her stomach, along with a few other emotions that she doesn’t dare put a name to.

 

Taking a deep breath, Jodariel buries those emotions and rips her gaze away from the house, throwing the wagon into drive and pulls out onto the road, beginning to drive to her new job, taking one last look behind her through the rearview mirror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS. It has been a hot minute since I’ve updated this story, and honestly the only excuse i have is that I’m a lazy piece of shit who doesn’t know how to manage her time effectively. I swear to god this fic hangs over me every day, and while I really and truly do love writing this story, this little fucker has given me so much trouble over the past few months that I was honestly ready to abandon it, but then, all of a sudden, I had a rush of inspiration that allowed me to finish the remaining 7/8 of this chapter and finally post it. I want to say that moving forward I’m going to be a lot better about posting, however you and I both know that my word amounts to absolute garbage, but I’m going to try and update this story as much as I possibly can, as I have a lot of ideas about where I want this story to go, and things are only just getting started. In case you were wondering about the heart-warning scene between Amber and Iggy, that entire debacle was inspired by Aryisacapricat on Tumblr, who I’m convinced must be an angle from heaven whose sole purpose is to kill me with the most ADORABLE FUCKING FANART OF THIS SHITTY ASS FIC THAT I HAVE EVERY SEEN AND TRUTH BE FUCKING TOLD, IT’S WORKING. Honestly, if anyone ever wants to draw fan art for this fic, I can guarantee you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that your fan art (if its something like a comic) goes into this story. Anyways, thank you guys for being so patient with me, I know I am the absolute worst type of fanfic writer and it sucks waiting so long for updates, but I promise going forward I wont leave you guys hanging for so long. Thanks so much for reading my story and I will see you all soon for chapter 9. Bye!


	9. Nosocomephobia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no I made Iggy sad, what do I do.

Things got a lot easier once Jodariel started her new job and now had a set schedule and routine to fall back on every day. Although caring for a infant often involved being adaptable and changing things around based upon what the baby needs, by the time one full moon cycle of having Amber in their home passed, everyone seemed to have fallen into a comfortable rhythm.

 

Compared to how she was when he first arrived, Amber was infinitely healthier and stronger, however she still wasn’t growing nearly was much as Jodariel had expected her to, which was a slight cause for concern in her opinion. A quick phone call to Madam Meadows to discuss the concerns she had regarding Amber’s growth, or lack thereof, resulted in Jodariel being recommended to a local pediatrician who worked directly with the group home, and was a personal friend of the bog crone. 

 

It was early Friday morning when Jodariel and Ignarius entered Diamondback Pediatrics. The building was rather small is size, but had multiple floors, with the receptionists area and waiting room on the ground floor. Making her way toward the receptionist desk, Jodariel was met with the sight of two young women, one human and one harp, who were both diligently organizing paperwork into neat little piles, and then sorting them into large filing cabinets that lined the back wall. Upon noticing Jodariel, the human girl set aside her paperwork and smiled kindly at the woman.

 

“Good Morning Ma’am, welcome to Diamondback Pediatrics, my name is Denisa. How can I help you today?” The girl asks politely.

 

“My name is Jodariel and I called earlier this week regarding a checkup for a child I am looking after” Jodariel explains.

 

“Ah yes of course, you’re the new caretaker Madam Meadows told us about” Denisa exclaimed.

 

“She told you about me?” Jodariel asks, slightly surprised.

 

“Yes, she called us a little bit before you did and explained that you were one of the foster parents she had recently enlisted to help with the overflow problem at the group home. She also mentioned how you wanted to schedule an appointment with Dr. Diamondback because of some concerns you had regarding the child’s growth since you started caring for her?” Jodariel nods.

 

“Correct. She has gained some weight since we started caring for her, however she isn’t gaining it nearly as much as I would like her to and as a result of her not gaining the weight fast enough, she isn’t growing as much either. My main concern with this is that her lack of growth now will lead to further developmental issues later on when she’s older” Jodariel explains. Denisa has taken out a blank chart and begun filling it out, taking note of all the concerns that Jodariel had named.

 

“How old is the child?” Denisa asks after a moment of silence. Jodariel pauses to think.

 

“If I were to make a guess I’d say she is between 7 and 9 weeks old. We found her on our back door step 4 weeks ago, and while I am certain that she was only a few weeks old at the time, with how small and malnourished she was, it is difficult to tell how old she is exactly by just looking at her.” Denisa nods in understanding.

 

“I see. Well her exact age isn’t as important so long as we have a general idea” the girl explains. “If you would be so kind as to fill this out for me and bring it back up when you are done, we can then let you up to see Dr. Diamondback.”

 

Jodariel takes the clipboard and walks over to a corner of the room where Ignarius had taken a seat and promptly fallen back to sleep, his arms crossed over his chest and his head leaning against the back of the chair. Jodariel rolls her eyes and elbows him in the ribs, causing the man to jerk awake.

 

“What? Wha’ I do?” He asks, slightly groggy. Jodariel merely glares at him out of the corner of her eye before shaking her head and handing Amber over to him so she can fill out the paperwork. Once it’s done and all filled out, Jodariel returns the clipboard to Denisa, who thanks her and smiles warmly.

 

“You two can go on up now if you’d like. Dr. Diamondback is ready for you.” Heading up the large staircase, Jodariel and Ignarius follow the various signs posted on the walls until they reach a large wooden door with a sign that reads ‘ _ Dr. Diamondback _ ’. Jodariel knocks on the door and after a moment of silence a soft “come in” can be heard from the other side. Jodariel casts a glance back at Ignarius, who merely shrugs his shoulders, before turning the knob and entering.

 

Dr. Diamondback, a mid-aged bog crone with slightly yellow toned skin covered in various black splotches, long black hair tied back into a low ponytail, and sharp red eyes. She was currently typing away at a computer keyboard, occasionally glancing down at a file folder that laid open on her desk. As soon as the door to her office closed she looked up from her work and smiled at the two demons, closing the file folder and placing it to the side.

 

“Good morning” the crone greets happily, standing up. “My name is Dr. Verisha Diamondback, and I’ll be overseeing your appointment for today. You must be Jodariel, I assume.”

 

“Yes, and this here is my partner Ignarius” Jodariel says, motioning toward the man beside her.

 

“Hi” Ignarius greets with a nod of his head, glancing nervously around the room. Dr. Diamondback chuckles lightly at the exchange.

 

“Well, I’m glad to have you both here. Please, come in and take a seat. Alura told me that she was having some issues at the group home and that she had to put some of the children in foster homes to make sure they would be taken care of properly, but you’re the first ones to actually come in” Dr. Diamondback states. Jodariel furrows her brows in confusion as she takes a seat in one of the two chairs sat in front of the large desk Dr. Diamondback sat at, Ignarius taking the other one.

 

“I’m sorry, but who is Alura?” She asks. Dr. Diamondback looks up at her equally confused for a moment before bursting out laughing.

 

“Oh goodness forgive me. I forget that not many people actually know her first name. We’ve known each other since we were children so we speak exclusively on first name bases. What I meant to say was that ‘Madam Meadows’ informed me that you would be coming in for a checkup” she explained, saying the name ‘Madam Meadows’ in a proper and fancy accent, likely as a form of mockery.

 

“Ah, well that is correct.”

 

“So what brings you in today? The chart the front desk game me says that you have a few concerns regarding the weight management and growth rate of…” the crone pauses for a moment as she searches for a name.

 

“Amber” Ignarius supplies.

 

“Ah yes, Amber. Would you mind explaining to me exactly what you mean?”

 

“When Amber first came to us, she was dangerously underweight, likely due to malnourishment, and the condition we found her in implies that whomever was looking after her before was either careless and neglectful or simply incapable of properly caring for her themselves. Since then I’ve had her on a regular feeding schedule of around 3 oz of formula every 2 to 4 hours. While this has helped increase her weight and she is far stronger and more energetic than when she first arrived, I’m worried that she isn’t gaining it fast enough and as a result, isn’t growing properly because of it. I realize that she has only been with us for 4 weeks, but based off of how much I’ve been feeding her, I expected her to gain at least twice as much weight as she has, and I’m worried about how her lack of growth now could impact her development later on” Jodariel explains. Dr. Diamondback nods her head in understanding.

 

“I see. That is indeed a cause for concern, but it would appear as though we’ve caught this in its early stages, so we thankfully have plenty of time to deal with this before it actually becomes an issue” she states.

 

“Follow me, and we can begin the exam.” Dr. Diamondback stands from her desk and exits her office, Jodariel and Ignarius following behind. The bog crone leads them to another room down the hall. The room is painted a soft lilac color and the walls are covered with doodles and drawings done by some of the patients. Toward the back wall is a table with a baby scale on the left and a soft pad on the right.

 

“Alright, I’ll begin by weighing Amber and then performing some basic checks, just to make sure there’s nothing else going on. After that I’ll take some vitals and some blood and use that to determine what course of action we should take moving forward” Dr. Diamondback says, pulling a pair of latex gloves on, and holding her arms to Ignarius. Ignarius eyes the woman for a moment, making no move to hand Amber over to her. Jodariel nudges him in the side, and despite the glare she receives Ignarius does, though rather reluctantly, hand the child over to the doctor.

 

The physical exam is nothing special, and although Dr. Diamondback does agree that Amber is a bit small and underweight for her approximate age, she is otherwise a perfectly healthy baby, much to the two demon’s relief.

 

“Alright, now this is where things start to get a little tricky. I’m going to need one of you to hold her while I take her blood pressure and then extract the blood sample” Dr. Diamondback says.

 

“I’ll do it” Jodariel says, stepping forward and picking Amber off the pad and situating her so that she’s in an upright sitting position, leaning against Jodariel’s chest. Dr. Diamondback takes a small band and wraps it around Amber’s arm, beginning to fill the band with air as a dial attached to it begins to rise.

 

“Ok, normal blood pressure rates” she says, jotting the numbers down on her chart, and then removing the band from Amber’s arm. Throughout the examination, Amber had been relatively calm and happy, occasionally reaching up and trying to get her hands on the tools Dr. Diamondback was using, giggling when the crone would move them out of her reach only to gently boop her on the nose with them. The issues came as Dr. Diamondback began extracting Amber’s blood for the exam.

 

At first, Amber simply falls quiet, startled by the prick of pain that came when the needle entered. She stares at the tube now sticking out of her arm for a moment, before moving her opposite arm to try and pull it out. Jodariel gently takes the hand and holds it out of the way, allowing Dr. Diamondback to attach a vial to the tube and for blood to begin filling the small glass tube. Amber’s eyes widen in shock and fear at the sight of the bright red liquid coming out of her arm and Jodariel has to tighten her grip on the tiny infant as she begins squirming and writhing.

 

“Hold her still. It’s almost done” Dr. Diamondback instructs, holding down the arm with the tube attached to it. Ignarius watches as Amber’s whimpers and whines quickly turn to cries and sobs as she continues to squirm in Jodariel’s arms, clearly uncomfortable with how scared and panicked Amber was, but knowing there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Thankfully, the vial finally fills to the appropriate level and Dr. Diamondback quickly detaches and caps the vial, placing a small label on it and putting it off to the side, before returning to Amber and removing the needle from her arm.

 

“Look at you, you did such a good job Amber. What a brave girl you are” Dr. Diamondback coos at the little girl, placing a small pink band-aid over the area where the needle once was. The removal of the needle and the soft, soothing tone of the doctor’s voice seems to calm her down slightly, though her lips continue to quiver slightly and tears keep falling down her cheeks.

 

“Alright, that’s it. She’s all good to go” Dr. Diamondback announces. “I’ll send her blood sample over to the lab and give you a call in a few days when I get the results back. For right now just continue with the routine that you’ve been doing and we’ll change it depending on the final results.”

 

“Thank you Dr. we appreciate you taking the time to look after her” Jodariel thanks, shaking the bog crone’s hand.

 

“It was my pleasure. Feel free to give me a call if you need anything. Have a wonderful day” Dr. Diamondback says as they two exit the exam room and walk down the stairs back to the waiting room, bidding the two girls behind the receptionist;s counter a good day before exiting the building. Once back at the auto-wagon, Jodariel straps a now moody Amber into her car seat as Ignarius starts up the engine. As soon as she slides into the passenger seat, Ignarius throws the wagon into drive and jerks the car forward, speeding out of the parking lot, much to Jodariel’s chargin.

 

“Scribes above” Jodariel curses as her horn bangs painfully against the door. “Ignarius slow down this instant.”

 

Ignarius glances at Jodariel and let's off on the accelerator, allowing the auto-wagon to slow down to the appropriate speed.

 

“Sorry” he apologizes. Jodariel shakes her head and rubs her aching horn. Glancing back at Ignarius Jodariel notices how tense he is, his left hand tapping rapidly against the steering wheel and his right hand gripping the clutch so hard that his knuckles had gone white.

 

“What’s wrong?” Jodariel asks. 

 

“Nothin’” Ignarius says, brushing her off. Jodariel narrows her eyes, reaching out and pinching the underside of Ignarius’ arm.

 

“OW fuck” the man curses, jumping slightly. “What the fuck was that for?”

 

“You’re lying to me. I can tell. What’s wrong?” Jodariel repeats firmly. Ignarius rolls his eyes.

 

“I said it’s nothin’.”

 

“And I don’t believe you.” Ignarius glares at her and sighs.

 

“Look it’s not that big a deal. It’s actually kinda dumb” he admits lightly.

 

“Wow, something dumb by your standards? I can’t wait to hear this” Jodariel responds sarcastically, causing Ignarius to laugh and roll his eyes.

 

“Promise you won’t laugh? Ignarius asks after a moment.

 

“I suppose I can do that’ Jodariel shrugs. Another moment passes as Ignarius thinks through what he wants to say.

 

“Ok so… I guess the best way to say this without lookin’ like too much of an idiot is… I’m not exactly the biggest fan o’ doctors, er hospitals, er anythin’ that has to do with ‘em really” Ignarius admits awkwardly.

 

“Really?” Jodariel asks, surprised.

 

“Yup” Ignarius replies.

 

“Any… particular reason for that?” She asks curiously.

 

“Oh boy where do I start” Ignarius says sarcastically. “The list is as long as I am tall.”

 

“Alright, then stick with the important ones” Jodariel says. Ignarius huffs.

 

“A’right, fine. I don’t like doctors because they’re expensive as fuck, there’s always a long-ass waiting list ya gotta get through before you can even step in the door, once you do finally get an appointment ya gotta clear your entire schedule for the day ‘cuz they make you wait hours in those stupid-ass waiting rooms that are always crammed with people, then once you finally get called they stick you in a room all by yourself and you get to wait even longer, then the doctor finally comes in and he spends all of five minutes asking all sorts of invasive questions, poking around in places you’d rather he didn’t poke, then tells you he thinks he might know what’s wrong with you but isn’t really sure and couldn’t be asked to check, hands you a prescription for a bottle of pills your insurance definitely isn’t gonna cover and tells you to fuck off on your way out the door.”

 

Jodariel remained silent after Ignarius finished his long winded explanation. For a brief moment, she expected Ignarius to burst out laughing and tell her he was joking, maybe even make fun of her for even believing such an outlandish story. However that moment never came, in fact the grim look on Ignarius’ face as he drove the wagon down the road not only told Jodariel that he wasn’t joking, but that something very similar to what he described likely happened to him as well. How long ago this was, Jodariel had no idea, but it was very clear that it had a lasting negative impression on him.

 

“What kind of doctors were you seeing?” Jodariel asks, trying to break a bit of the tension that had risen. 

 

“That kind of thing was commonplace back when I was a kid. Hospitals and doctor’s offices never had enough staff on hand to deal with the number of people that came in everyday, so they were usually overworked, underpaid, and sick of dealing with perfectly healthy people coming in and claiming they were sick just so they could get their hands on drugs they could turn around and sell to people on the side of the road. On top of that, they needed to process a certain number of patients a day to keep the grant money comin’ in, so as that number kept gettin’ higher and higher, doctors had to shorten the amoun’ o’ time they spent with each person so that they could get paid for the work they did that day” Ignarius explains. Jodariel remains silent, keeping her gaze focused on the man next to her.

 

“Course it ain’t always their fault, what with the shitty conditions they have to work under and all. But when people you know keep dying every couple months ‘cuz they had some disease or infection that went undiagnosed or untreated, you start to lose yer sympathy for ‘em and all they shit they have to deal with; ‘Cuz you know that if they had to choose between getting paid and 10 more minutes with someone just to make sure that little bump on the back of their neck is really as benign as it looks, you know they’d take that paycheck every time.”

 

“I suppose I can understand where you are coming from. But I don’t see how you can continue to be distrustful of them now, considering how much the field as a whole has improved since we were growing up, to the point where you’d rather avoid them and risk your health over something that seemed like nothing at first, but then grew into something that could potentially put your life at risk” Jodariel states. Ignarius remains silent for a moment.

 

“Listen Jo, I don’t live under a rock. I know how far medicine has come since we were kids and I know that compared to how things were back in the Commonwealth, things are a million times better now. I know that. But just ‘cuz things are better doesn’t mean they’re necessarily good” Ignarius states firmly. Jodariel furrows her brow in confusion.

 

“What do you mean?” She asks slowly.

 

“What I mean is that all those doctors, the ones who became so jaded and uncaring because of how badly they were treated, and started dismissing what people were saying, telling them it was nothing or that it was all in their heads, sending them out the door with a few pills, only for those same people to die 6 months later, they’re still out there. I’m sure there are plenty of good doctor’s out there, but there are also just as many bad ones, and those doctors are still out there, seeing patients, writing prescriptions, telling people that they’re fine when they really aren’t, and then holding their hands up innocently and playing dumb when they come back, sicker than they were before, and find out they have stage 4 cancer and have 3 months to live, at best, if they don’t start intensive treatment, which they may or may not even be able to afford, by the way. That’s what I mean.” Ignarius sighs heavily, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel.

 

“I dunno” he shakes his head. “Maybe I’m just stupid for having listened to all those people who were or had somebody they knew who was dying ‘cuz the doctor didn’t believe they were in real pain the first 3 times they went in. Maybe I’m just stupid for having listened to my parents, who always told me to read over everything they gave me three times, so I didn’t accidentally sign myself up for something I didn’t want, ‘cuz they knew people who signed paperwork without reading it, and the next thing they knew they were short a couple of organs. Maybe I’m just stupid for being afraid doctors. Maybe I’m just stupid.” Jodariel continues to remain silent, deciding that interrupting Ignarius while he’s like this would be unwise.

 

“I’m a lot o’ things Jodi, and stupid is probably one o’ the biggest ones… but I ain’t naive” Ignarius states harshly, though the way he says it makes Jodariel wonder if it was directed at her or himself.

 

“I am not naive enough to think that just ‘cuz things are better, that all of a sudden all the problems we had back in the Commonwealth are gone. I am not naive enough to think that just because doctors get paid more and don’t work in shitty conditions, that they give any more of a damn about us than they did before. And I am not naive enough to think that if I went in to see a doctor about something, that he’d treat me with the exact same way as he’d treat some other guy who didn’t look like he spent half his life in exile. I am not that naive.” Jodariel frowns when she notices Ignarius biting the inside of his cheek as the slightest trace of tears begin to collect along his lower lid.

 

“I’ve lost too many people I knew and loved to ever be naive enough to think that” Ignarius says, his voice slightly shaky. Jodariel does not say anything and Ignarius does not continue. A long period of silence passes between the two before Jodariel finally speaks up.

 

“I’m sorry” she says. “I didn’t realize this was such a personal and sensitive topic for you. I shouldn’t have pushed it.”

 

Ignarius sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair.

 

“Fuck Jo, don’t apologize. I’m the one who got fuckin’ defensive about it” he said, casting a glance at her.

 

“I know it’s a stupid thing to be afraid of. Just as many people die from not going to the doctor’s as they do the other way around. I don’t even know why I thought about it in the first place. Everything was fine at first, but then the second we stepped into that office it was like my life flashed before my eyes, my heart dropped to my feet, and I felt like I was gonna be sick to my stomach. And that stupid blood sample thing didn’t exactly help to calm my nerves any” Ignarius said, glancing at the now sleeping Amber through the rear view mirror.

 

“I see” Jodariel says. “Well, I suppose your apprehension toward the whole situation is a lot more understandable knowing all that. Although I don’t agree with your reasoning, nor do I believe avoiding doctors is any better of a solution, I suppose I can’t really fault you for being so distrustful of them after everything you’ve experienced.”

 

Ignarius shrugs his shoulders.

 

“I guess” he says casually. A moment of silence passes between the two.

 

“Tell you what” Jodariel begins. Ignarius looks at her out of the corner of his eye.

 

“The next time you need to go see a doctor for something, we’ll go together. I can’t promise me being there will make you get over your fear or anything like that but… maybe it’ll help make everything seem a little less out of your control” Jodariel suggests, glancing over at Ignarius. The raven-haired man huffs out a laugh and nods his head.

 

“Alright. I guess I’m ok with that” he says, taking his right hand off the clutch and reaching over to grasp Jodariel’s hand in his own, intertwining their fingers. Jodariel rolls her eyes but does not try to hide the smile that spreads across her lips as she squeezes Ignarius’ hand reassuringly. 

 

Jodariel had known all along that Ignarius was hiding things from her. Bits and pieces of his past that were either of little importance for him to bring up, or too painful and traumatizing to ever want to relive. Of course Jodariel had no room to judge, as she herself has withheld countless memories and tales from the shorter man throughout the duration of their relationship.

 

It was at times like these however, when Ignarius allowed her small glimpses into his past and how the events of it have permanently affected and changed him, that Jodariel was reminded that Ignarius was not nearly as stupid as he often seemed. True he was, at times, childish, hot-headed, and prone to doing some of the most idiotic things Jodariel had ever been forced to lay witness to, beneath those layers of immaturity, reckless abandon, and never ending happiness, was just a man. A man who had lived long enough and been through enough to know what the real world was like and what the people in it were willing to do in order to get what they wanted.

 

A common belief regarding former exiles who had managed to regain their freedom through the rites, was that their time in the downside had somehow managed to steal parts of their souls from them, slowing sucking the life out of them until they were nothing more than empty husks, unrecognizable from who they once were. Being a former exile herself, Jodariel knew that this was only true on a metaphorical level. Yes the desolate landscape and disheartening loneliness that often comes with life in the downside had a way of changing people, withering away at their spirits so much that the only way to hold on to one’s sanity would be to crawl inside yourself and never open up again. For people like Jodariel, this was the only way to survive, as any other way would only result in either their deaths, or their slow and painful descent into insanity.

 

Ignarius on the other hand, was nothing like what many would assume of the typical former-exile. He was loud, boisterous, and fun-loving. Ignarius was a true extrovert who loved being around and meeting new people, and despite the slightly intimidating appearance granted to him by his height and his horns, his light-hearted and friendly personality gave people few reasons not to like him. On top of all that, Ignarius was remarkably intelligent, having used his unusual appearance as well as his natural talent for mathematics, to not only land himself a job immediately upon returning to the Commonwealth, but then moving on to create a very lucrative career for himself as a financial manager, a job that was in very high demand now-a-days.

 

Jodariel chuckled slightly, recalling the first time she encountered Ignarius, and how she thought of him as little more than an arrogant simpleton with the emotional range of a teaspoon. Little did she know that beneath that arrogant bravado was a man who had more wisdom, intelligent, affection, and love to give than anyone Jodariel had ever met. And while Jodariel doubted that she would ever completely know or understand everything there was to know about Ignarius and his anxieties, the blonde was just grateful that her partner trusted her enough to divulge some of his mental and emotional scars, and allow her to alleviate them in any way she could, knowing full-well that Ignarius wouldn’t hesitate to do the same for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I’m gonna be real honest here. This chapter took me all of 1 hour to write, and yet I have been majorly procrastinating on posting it because even though this chapter was super easy to write and I like how it flows and sets up some things I’m going to address later on in the story. I’m a little worried about what people will think of how I wrote Iggy in this chapter. From what we know about the loveable idiot in the canon games, Iggy is generally a loud and arrogant man who speaks before he thinks and believes himself to be one of the best rites conductors to ever grace the downside. Our view as the reader (and depending on what route you take in the game) lets us see a bit deeper into who Ignarius is as a character and a person. Beneath all his confidence and self-assured attitude however, is actually a man with many self-doubts and insecurities about himself that he keeps hidden from the rest of the world. This chapter was my attempt at diving further into what Ignarius could have been like if Pyre had explored his character more, and had given us more glimpses into his mind and thoughts, while also trying to build some kind of backstory for Ignarius that justifies his fears and anxieties. On the other hand, I also wanted this chapter to show some of Iggy’s good qualities, the fact that despite how idiotic and ridiculous he can act, he’s actually pretty smart, and is capable of using his intelligence and street smarts to build a better life for himself or how he really loves Jodariel with all his heart and wants more than anything in the world to love someone, and for that person to love him back. I know i’m probably overthinking this whole thing and procrastinating on posting this chapter for nothing, but i can’t help but feel a little nervous whenever I write stuff that might be considered ooc or ‘grasping for air’ in terms of how I write my characters. Anyways I’m gonna stop talking now, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Make sure to like and comment down below, telling me what you thought of the chapter. Thank you guys so much for reading and as always I will see you all soon for chapter 10. Bye!


	10. Surprise Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys know the drill by now. Have at ye.

Never before in Jodariel’s life had the blonde ever been in any sort of situation where she could really and truly enjoy her weekends.

 

Of course she had them, occasionally. But between being captain of a military squad on the blood border, raising the children of her fallen comrades out of her own home, or simply being an exile, the concept of taking time out of one’s day to do nothing was something she never understood or took part in until she started living with Ignarius, who valued his weekends off like some people valued precious metals and gems.

 

This weekend in particular, was one that followed a particularly difficult week at work. Although Jodariel loved and enjoyed her new job training the special-ops unit, she couldn’t help but notice after a while, that the majority of her time at work was usually spent filling out paperwork and filing reports, rather than working with the trainees. While this type of work wasn’t the least bit taxing physically, mentally it was like running a 10K marathon after having took three months off to recover from an injury, and by the end of the day on Friday, Jodariel’s mind had turned completely to mush, and she was very much ready to go home and relax for a few days.

 

Ignoring any and all voice messages she has, Jodariel grabs her things and heads out to her auto-wagon, throwing her bag in the passenger seat next to her, and beginning the drive home.

 

Upon pulling into the driveway of her house, Jodariel gets out of the car and heads straight for the Birch’s house. It was decided from the beginning that the Birch’s would watch Amber from when Jodariel dropped her off in the mornings, to when the blonde came to pick her up in the evening, as Ignarius’ schedule was often to unpredictable for him to be able to determine when he will and won’t be getting off on any given day. 

 

Jodariel knocks on the large wooden door and has to wait only a moment before the elderly sap woman opens the door.

 

“Jodariel” the sap says, surprised for some reason.

 

“Hello Mrs. Birch how are you?” Jodariel greets politely.

 

“I’m fine thank you, but what are you doing here?” Mrs. Birch asks curiously. Jodariel furrows her eyes in confusion.

 

“I’m… here to pick up Amber like usual” she responds. Mrs. Birch seems taken aback.

 

“Oh but Amber isn’t here deary” the sap woman says. 

 

“What?” Jodariel’s eyes widen as panic begins to spread throughout her body. Amber wasn’t here? Then where was she? Did something happen while she was at work and she wasn’t informed about it? Was Amber missing? Was Amber hurt? Was she ok?

 

“‘Why yes. Ignarius came and picked her up a couple of hours ago. He said he got out of work early today and had called and left you a voice message telling you that he would be spending the afternoon with her. I was a bit surprised when he showed up on my doorstep earlier but Amber seemed pleased to see him so I let him take her. Is that alright?” Jodariel takes a deep and shaky breath, trying to calm herself down from the panic attack she nearly just had. 

 

“Yes, yes, that’s fine. I was in a bit of a rush to leave the office today so I didn’t check my messages before heading out. I must have just missed it. Thank you Mrs. Birch and I apologize for bothering you” Jodariel says.

 

“No worries dear. Have a lovely evening” the old say says sweetly, before closing the door behind her. Jodariel walks back toward her own home and grabs her things from the auto-wagon, taking a moment to calm her nerves before walking through the back door.

 

The moment Jodariel walks into the kitchen, she is met with the sound of high-pitched squealing and laughter coming from the living room.

 

“God fuckin’ dammit Amber quit floppin’ around like a dead fish, will ya” the sound of Ignarius’ voice echoes from the living room, followed by bursts of laughter from both him and Amber. Peeking into the living room, Jodariel is met with the sight of Amber, who Ignarius has sat up against a pillow on the couch, with Ignarius sat cross legged on the floor in front of her, a pair of nail clippers in one hand, and a half-empty bottle of vodka in the other, which he takes a large swig from before setting it on the coffee table beside him and returning to his task.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” Jodariel asks bluntly, not really sure if she’s going to like the answer she gets.

 

“Who me?” Ignarius asks dumbly, looking up a Jodariel. The blonde rolls her eyes.

 

“No Iggy, the mouse in your pocket” Jodariel says sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

“Shit, ya don’t gotta be so mean about it” Ignarius says. “And if you must know, I’m tryin’ to cut Amber’s fuckin’ fingernails, but she keeps makin’ me fuckin’ laugh so I can’t do it” Ignarius huffs. Amber takes the small window of silence to let out a annoyed cry, which quickly changes into a fit of giggling as Ignarius tries, and fails, to keep himself from laughing. The raven-haired man allows his head to drop down onto the couch as he laughs uncontrollably in his clearly drunken state, and Amber takes the opportunity to start banging her hand against the base of his right horn. Jodariel takes another glance at the bottle of vodka sitting on the table behind him.

 

“And how much have you had to drink tonight?” Jodariel asks. Ignarius manages to compose himself after a moment, wiping a tear from his cheek before reaching back for said vodka bottle.

 

“I’ve had approximately 4 shots of alcohol this evening” Ignarius says, with a slight slur to his words.

 

“Right, so 4 means 12, and I will now be taking this from you” Jodariel says, snatching the bottle out of Ignarius’ hand just as he’s about to take another swig. Upon realizing that he wasn’t getting any more alcohol, Ignarius glances down at his hand in confusion, his mouth hanging open slightly as he looks at his now empty hand for a few moments.

 

“Hey” he finally calls as Jodariel walks away with his vodka, returning it to the alcohol cabinet where it belonged. 

 

“Is there any particular reason why you’re cutting Amber’s fingernails while drunk?” Jodariel asks as she returns to the living room.

 

“Ya, look at this” Ignarius says, gently grabbing Amber by the chin and back of the head and turning her face so that Jodariel can see the long, albeit shallow, cut that ran from the lower corner of her left eye all the way down to her neck.

 

“What happened?” Jodariel asks, leaning in to take a closer look at the cut.

 

“I don’ really know what happened exactly, but I think she was rubbin’ her eyes and ended up scratchin’ herself somehow” Ignarius replied. Jodariel hummed in understanding, leaving for a moment to grab a bottle of healing ointment from the bathroom, and returning to rub a small amount of it on the infant’s cut.

 

“Alright, that should help it heal a little faster. Move over I’ll finish up” Jodariel instructs, looking down at Ignarius.

 

“No” he responds firmly. Jodariel raises her eyes at him.

 

“And why not?”

 

“‘Cuz I was the one who started this, and I’m gonna be the one to finish it” he responds indignantly, turning back to Amber and steadying his hand to cut her fingernail. Just as he’s about to snip the overgrown nail off however, Amber begins smacking Ignarius’ hand, letting out another fit of annoyed cries, that once again succeed in causing the man sitting in front of her, to break out laughing.

 

“AMBER” Ignarius yells, between laughs as the infant girl breaks into her own fit of giggles, clapping her hands together happily. Jodariel rolls her eyes and shakes her head in mild annoyance, allowing a chuckle of her own to escape after seeing how effortlessly Amber was able to manipulate Ignarius.

 

“Hand them over” Jodariel instructs, and this time Ignarius willingly hands her the nail clippers, scooting out of the way so Jodariel can sit down in front of the small girl, and pick up where Ignarius left off. It only took a few minutes to clip the rest of Amber’s nails, and although the little girl continued to use the shenanigans she had used to make Ignarius laugh on Jodariel, all the little girl received for her efforts was a small smile and a “Yes, yes, you’re very funny”. As soon as she is finished, Jodariel places the nail clippers on the table behind her and lifts the infant girl into her arms.

 

“Has she been fed yet?” Jodariel asks Ignarius, who is standing in the door between the kitchen and the living room, munching on a granola bar.

 

“Ya, I fed her just before you got back. She could probably use a bath though” he says through mouthfuls of granola bar. Jodariel nods and heads toward the bathroom to give Amber a bath and get ready for bed herself.

 

By the end of the night, both Ignarius and Amber are fast asleep, sprawled out on the couch, Amber laying face down on Ignarius’ chest, her tiny fist wrapped around the cord attached to the hoodie he was wearing, with Ignarius’ proportionally larger right hand gently wrapped around her back to keep her from rolling over and falling onto the floor.

 

Jodariel sat on the opposite end of the couch, the remote control for the TV in one hand and a bowl of microwave popcorn in the other. The blonde glances over at the two sleeping bodies next to her and smiles when Amber sneezes in her sleep, shifting slightly to burrow her face in the soft material of Ignarius’ hoodie, before settling back into a comfortable slumber.

 

A soft knock at the front door catches Jodariel’s attention. Setting the bowl of popcorn on the table, Jodariel gets up from the couch and makes her way to the front door, turning the knob and opening it.

 

“Good evening Jodariel” the warm and soft voice of Madam Meadows says. Jodariel is shocked to see the crone at her door, but quickly recovers.

 

“Hello Madam Meadows. How are you?” Jodariel asks politely.

 

“I am well thank you. I apologize for disturbing you so late at night, but I have something rather important I’d like to give you” Madam Meadows explains.

 

“Not a problem. Please come in” Jodariel says, stepping out of the way so the bod crone can slither into the front hall. The woman takes in her surroundings as Jodariel closes and locks the front door behind them, and begins leading Madam Meadows through the living room to the kitchen. Turning the light on, Jodariel walks into the kitchen, the bog crone not far behind her.

 

“Would you like something to drink?” Jodariel asks, rifling through the fridge.

 

“Just a glass of water please” Madam Meadows says, taking a seat at the kitchen table. Jodariel brings over her glass and takes a seat at the chair across from her.

 

“So” Jodariel begins, “what is it that you need to show me?”

 

Madam Meadows takes out a file folder and places is on the table.

 

“Nothing too serious, just a small report I need to fill out regarding the child you are looking after, as well as the check I owe you for the last two moon cycles of looking after her. I promise it won’t take long” she explains, taking out a few documents and a pen. The next half hour or so is spent answering any questions Madam Meadows has and signing the documents she hands her. As soon as they are done with the paperwork, Madam Meadows takes out a small, white, sealed envelope that contains the money they are owed for looking after Amber, and hands it to Jodariel,

 

From the other room, Jodariel hears the sound of rustling before Ignarius trudges tiredly into the kitchen, Amber tucked snuggly between his chest and his left arm. He doesn’t seem to notice the two women seated at the kitchen table as he rummages through the fridge, emerging with a bottle of formula for Amber, which had been prepared in advance earlier, and a few sticks of yogurt, for himself. Jodariel pinches the bridge of her nose as Ignarius promptly exits the kitchen with both his and Amber’s midnight snacks.

 

“Your partner I assume” Madam Meadows says with a chuckle.

 

“Yes, that’s him” Jodariel affirms.

 

“Ignarius” she calls.

 

“Ya?” Ignarius calls back from the living room.

 

“Could you come here for a moment?” She asks. Ignarius leans against the frame of the door leading to the kitchen, peering around the wall to look at Jodariel and Madam Meadows, with Amber quickly making her way through the bottle of formula that Ignarius had retrieved from the fridge moments ago.

 

“Wha’?” He asks tiredly.

 

“Iggy this is Madam Meadows, the head of the group home we’re working with” Jodariel explains to the raven-haired man. “Madam Meadows, this is Ignarius, my partner.”

 

“Good evening Ignarius. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you” the old crone says warmly. Ignarius, finally realizing that there was in fact another person in his house, straightens.

 

“Uh, ya. Pleasure’s mine. I’d shake yer hand but…” he motions down to the feeding infant in his arms. Madam Meadows laughs lightly.

 

“No need for formalities, I know it’s late. It’s just that in all my years of caring for children, I’ve learned that the best way to determine whether or not the child is receiving the care that they need is to show up unexpectedly. Of course I know that you both are doing everything you can to make sure little Amber is happy and healthy, but it never hurts to double check” Madam Meadows says, reaching out to gently run her hand along her cheek. Amber tightens her grip on the bottle, just in case.

 

“Uh… right” Ignarius says, clearly confused.

 

“Well, I’ve taken enough of your time as it is. Thank you so much for doing this for me Jodariel, I greatly appreciate your cooperation in helping me complete all this paperwork” Madam Meadows thanks, tucking the file folder under her arm.

 

“Not a problem” Jodariel says as she leads the bog crone to the front door.

 

As Madam Meadows exits the house she stops and pauses for a moment, before turning back to Jodariel.

 

“You know, both you and your partner are a surprisingly good fit for the child. Better than I could have ever expected” she says suddenly. “You still have one moon cycle left with her. Let me know if you change your mind about this at any point, and I will see what I can do for you.”

 

Jodariel furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

 

“What… do you mean?” She asks slowly. Madam Meadows shakes her head.

 

“Never mind. Just the prattling of an old crone. Have a good evening, Jodariel” she says before slithering away into the darkness. As Jodariel closes and locks the front door behind her, Ignarius gives her a curious look.

 

“What was that all about?” He asks. Jodariel glances back at the door the old crone had just exited out of.

 

“I don’t know” she says to Ignarius.

 

“I don’t know” she says to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plz be nice to me I wrote this chapter at like 3 am and did NOT bother beta reading it.

**Author's Note:**

> So this chapter was just a prologue, something I wrote that kind of establishes the setting of the story as well as the state of the society that Jodi and Iggy live in, as well as how I like to think their relationship developed. Just as a quick note, within Pyre they have a tendency to refer to the passing of time by moons or days, so for those of you who were confused, moon cycles are months and then terms like 'firstmonth', 'seventhmonth', or 'twelfthmonth" are equivalent term to our months so firstmonth is January, seventhmonth is July, and twelfthmonth is December, etc. Ok I think that's all I have to say for right now. Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the prologue to my dumpster fire of a fanfic, and I hope to see you again soon for chapter 1.


End file.
